


Falling into the Kingdom of Nightmares

by DanaFanel



Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: All consuming Fear, Author has Writing disorder, F/M, Fearlings (Guardians of Childhood), Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mind Control, More Warnings likely to come, Near Death Experiences, Non-Consensual Touching, Past Violence, Pitch fucking with Jack's head, Please comment on ways to improve, Sexual Violence, Shadows - Freeform, Threats of Violence, Touch-Starved, fear of touch, pity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2018-07-22 07:10:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 52,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7424989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanaFanel/pseuds/DanaFanel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pitch lost. Pitch's nightmares turned on him. Pitch needs fear. Jack comes in at the worst possible time.  (Pitch isn't the only one to hurt Jack in this fic.)</p>
<p> </p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bad Timing

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. Please consider leaving helpful tips. I have a number of learning disabilities, most of which involves the English language. I still want to be an author though, and any tips would be great.
> 
> You will feel bad for all involved in this story. LOTS of not nice stuff. You have been warned.
> 
>  
> 
> 7-11-2016 Small edit of mistakes (Again, writing disorder? How many times must I edit my stuff?)

It all started with a small stray Nightmare.

 

Jack Frost, one of the spirits of winter and the newest member of the Guardians of Children, had gotten a literal face full of the sandy beast. This one had been far smaller than the ones previous; maybe able to fit into Jack’s palm. It didn’t matter in the end. The beast had completely dissolved as its escape from the child’s bedroom had run it smack into Jack.

 

Though the presence of the Nightmare quickly brings the image of another spirit to the forefront of Jack’s mind. The Nightmares’ creator: The King of Nightmares a.k.a the Boogeyman a.k.a Pitch Black. ‘A.k.a Mr. Creepy with a British accent’ thought Jack with a smirk as he glided toward the forest that surrounded Burgess. In the long list of oddities about the town, it was weird that the place that Jack called home had a forest just outside of it that the Boogeyman called home too. It made Jack ponder, numerous times in the last five years, how it had happened that way? It also caused him to wonder just why the two of them barely saw one another in Jack’s 300 plus years of afterlife.

 

The very first time was actually mere weeks into Jack’s new life. He had stayed around his pond and the nearby settlement up until Jack’s first summer. Getting the hang of his powers in part, but mostly just trying desperately to be seen. Jack had tried talking to people as they slept, looking at reflective surfaces, knocked things over. Heck, he grabbed nearly all the flour and cornmeal in the town and dumped it on himself. No one saw him or even his footprints that he left in the flour.

 

_That was Jack’s state when the King of Nightmares made himself known. Jack was sulking next to his pond when a soft sigh sounded behind him. He had turned, not knowing who from town would have been out here so late. Jack knew immediately that this man was not from town; he memorized everyone by now. The man was tall, a good half head taller than Jack. He was thin though, almost seemed wasted away from not eating or being ill. Had the man been well, Jack would still have called him thin, but like Jack; trimmed muscles versus skin and bones. The man’s skin was a shock. In the dim light of the moon, it seemed like a bronze statue completely dirtied by ash and dirt, giving him a gray cover. It was darker around his robe? Or was that just the effect of the shadows of the night? The robe opened as a V from his neckline and continued far down the man’s chest and covered his arms. He wore trousers the same black as his robe. Even his hair, which stood as if permanently set by a strong wind straight and back, was black as pitch. Most surprising were his eyes, a strange mix of gold and silver, like the sliver was trying to eclipse the gold. Those eyes… were looking at Jack._

_Jack went stiff as a board and gasps open mouthed at the man. No, it wasn’t possible…_

_“I take it from your gasping fish impression, you have not seen the likes of me before?” spoke the man. It was a rich voice, oddly accented to Jack’s ears, but very pleasant. Especially because it was directed at Jack._

_Jack’s body started to shake, his breathing came fast through his open mouth, and sounds gurgled in his throat. The man raised a pale, or maybe even non-existent, eyebrow at him and canted his head just slightly to his right._

_“You,” Jack was finally able to choke out some words. “You can… see me?”_

_The other man jerked back some in surprise, eyes widening before blinking a few times. “Oh dear, you must be very young. Am I the first to speak with you, boy?” cooed the man, giving Jack a small sad smile._

_“YES!!” Jack scrambled to his feet and ran over to close the distance with the other. The other was shocked again and raised his arms up to defend his person, but Jack stopped with a few feet to spare. The other slowly dropped his arms again. “Are there others like me? Like you? Can you make ice too? Can the people in the town see you? What about…” Jack brought his questions up short at the snarling look the crossed the man’s face. “Hey… sorry. They, they can’t see me either. Not even like this.” Jack whines and shied away from the man’s eyes before gesturing to himself._

_“Hm, I guessed as much. Attempting to be a cake then, child?” the shadow man teased as he too gestured to Jack’s floured form. “I understand. I have not been seen by anyone in quite some time.” The man spoke softly, but his eyes held flint inside._

_“So, I guess my big question is: What am I?” said Jack as he began getting the flour and meal off of himself._

_“Ah, a question worth its weight in gold,” smirked the man as he moved himself further from Jack as the dust flew. “The simplest answer is that we are spirits. Not ghosts, though. Yes, there is a difference, child.” Again, that damn smirk-like it had a permanent place there- appeared as Jack gaping. “Now, you said something about making ice?”_

_“Yes! I can make ice, and snow, and even frost,” Jack became excited again as his toes reached down for his staff and bent his body to bring it to his hand. The frost took over the staff and flowed to the ground and moved around Jack’s feet. It took on a fern pattern as it circled the other as well.  “I think that’s why he said my name was Jack Frost. Still not sure though…” Jack stuttered off again at the snap of the other’s face and neck to look from Jack’s frost to his face._

_“He?...Please don’t tell me it was the dear, lovely Man in the Moon?” Sarcasm and anger dripped from each of the man’s words as he threw a glare over his shoulder to the sky._

_“You know him too?!” Jack was elated, ignoring the bad attitude for more information. He planted his staff and ghosted up to the top, crouching on the curve. “You sure know a lot, Mister… Oh, I guess I should have introduced myself first. My name is Jack Frost.” Jack chimed as he held out his hand._

_The man canted his head once again at Jack’s position and hand, before raising up his own for a shake. The fingers were long and slender; Jack had a strange image of a hand spider go through his mind. “I am Pitch Black, dear Jack. Humans… once knew me as the Boogeyman. However, that is unimportant at the moment. I can only be out for a brief time tonight and much of my time is already up. So, I will answer the most important questions for you. You seem to be an elemental spirit. Other elementals are much older and are unlikely to interact with you, I’m afraid. However, there are plenty of spirits in the world. You need to leave the area to find them though. Once spring and summer approach this area, head as far South as you can. As one so young it might seem daunting, but you will be fine.” Pitch removed his hand from Jack’s and brushed it with his other. “Have a good view of the world, dear Jack. Perhaps we will meet again. Good night.” With that good bye, Pitch’s form was captured by the surrounding shadows and he vanished. Jack blinked a few times, before whistling at the neat trick._

 

That was the first time Jack ever met the Boogeyman, but it hadn’t been the last. Heck, the shadow spirit was the reason he now wore a blue hoodie. Jack had worn his old, white, long-sleeved shirt for two centuries, along with his deer-skinned pants. He threw away his old, elk-skin cloak after his first summer; Jack was never cold, so it made sense to not carry around the hot material. He never wore shoes, not once. The only other thing that he kept on his person was his staff. It had been with him from when he came out of the lake and it felt like part of his arm.

 

The change in tops came on Easter Sunday of 1968. The Boogeyman had decided to scare the ever-living crap out of Jack out in the Northwest just before sunrise. He had done the shadow trick again and the shock it had caused Jack forced him to release his powers. Jack had only wanted a light dusting of snow; he knew kids enjoyed the holiday, but had heard bad things about the holiday’s owner. The shock and cascade of Jack’s powers whited out the western seaboard all the way down to the top of California and East to the Dakotas.

 

_“Oh shit,” Jack floated over the skyscraper, chewing on his thumb and thumping his staff on his shoulder. He shot a glance at his company, who black attire hadn’t changed in all the time Jack had known him. He had been putting on weight since the meeting in New York during the first World War, though. “Geez, way to make an entrance there,_ Boogeyman _.” Jack gave a snarky snap as he floated closer to the shade._

_“I was merely in the area, young Frost. I saw you up here and wanted to see how you are going to anger the rabbit. You did quite well,” Pitch’s eyes laughed as she surveyed the area, pursing his lips and wrinkling his nose like he approved._

_“Oh, shut it, Boogey,” Jack grinned as the shade’s eyes snapped to his. “I still don’t get your problem with the “Guardians”, but it’s not my issue.” Jack added frosted air quotes just for good measure. “So they have their Holidays or give the kids dreams. There’s tons of other spirits around that are way more annoying. I mean, have you met April’s Fool? The guy tried to put those hot red shoes that make you dance forever on ME!” Jack lifted his right leg up and wiggled his toes, grinning at the shadow man’s ick face._

_“One such as yourself need not worry of my ‘issues’ with those four. You are an elemental, a reanimated one at that. You seem to be well versed in your job by now, and that should be enough. Though a merely 250 years is nothing to me; you will forever be a young spirit in many eyes.” Pitch flashed his hand in dismissal before placing it behind his back again with its partner._

_“What does being a reanimated elemental have to do with understanding some old man’s grips, huh?” Jack finally landed on the roof and leaned on his staff, scoffing up at the shade. Hey… had he gotten taller as well as putting on weight?_

_“Simply that there is an order in the spirit and supernatural world and elementals tend to be on a low tier. Though, you have a great abundance of power, you would rank very high in your class. I assume you have met a few fae by now, yes? They may have their own plane, but most are very_ very _powerful. Those four would be on a similar tier to those fae, and I will be back up there soon.” Pitch tapped his hands together as he continued to look down at the snow covered Seattle. “The fact that you said you came from a lake gives evidence that you are reanimated, likely just some poor homeless human too stupid to swim.” Pitch clicked his tongue over his teeth; his jabs always hit where it hurt with Jack._

_“Well, at least I don’t skulk around in dirty alleyways or under dust covered beds. Scare any dust bunnies lately, Boogey?” Jack snapped with a chilled smirk as he stepped off the roof, in the hopes of a dramatic exit._

_“Have you been walked through lately, Frost?” Pitch called softly, grinning as Jack stiffened and snapped his head around to glare. “Oh dear me, still nothing? Such a shame. Oh, but it seems you’ll have some new company soon,” Pitch’s glanced to the East as a thin strip of light was beginning to make itself known. “I wonder how you and the rabbit will get along, amongst this snow.” Pitch cooed and smirked as he once again made his exit by the shadows._

After that, Jack ran into Bunny for the first time. It had not gone well. One look at the snow, then up to Jack and Bunny had snapped. Jack had left Seattle with his old shirt tattered around his pants’ hemline, a new hoodie in hand, and bloodied and bruised. Bunny… still never really apologized for the bruises, though Jack apologized for at least a decade for the snow. Though, given the rabbit’s temper just before the war with Pitch, the rabbit could hold a grudge till the end of days.

 

Jack ran into Pitch once more before the Guardians’ War. It was in South America in-between winters; spring up North, fall in the south. The two had bantered over the penguins that were visiting Chile at the time. Pitch made a new comment on Jack’s complexion. Something on the lines of with Jack’s white hair and ice pale skin, the only thing different from him and a snowman were Jack’s blue eyes. The Boogeyman got a shot of ice down his back before he completely got away.

 

 

 

Jack finally coasted over the area Pitch’s hole last was. Flexing his hand and wrist, his staff started to glow an eerie blue in the moonless night. He held it high to get an idea of where he was. Last time, there had been a broken and rotten bed over Pitch’s lair’s entrance. Jack doubted that would hold true now; it was too obvious. He moved the staff back and forth, hoping for something.

 

He found a something after a few minutes. It was scorched Earth, dead and bare. Jack first followed the outline of the bareness, seeing that it made a wide half circle from the trees to a 10 by 15 opening. Moving to the center, Jack found his prize; a dark, slightly dank hole that he nearly twisted his ankle on. Thinking that his trip down this time would cause a bigger stir than his last, Jack pulled from his powers and commanded them forth. To the left of the hole he summoned a good sized blue ice column. It would stay frozen in the winter air for at least a week and be a beacon to the other Guardians if need be. Lastly, Jack rubbed his hand all over the ice, just in case the others needed Bunny’s nose to lead them.  Jack took a deep breath and, holding his staff to his chest, fell gracefully down the hole.

 

Jack landed with the winds help in a nice quiet fashion and moved the staff back to both hands, aiming it forward as he moved in. The blue hue glowed along the tunnel’s walls; a good 10 feet tall and maybe even as much across. Jack followed the tunnel slowly and trying to keep his sounds to a minimum. It took a few minutes, but the entrance tunnel finally opened into the lair.

 

Except this time, it was _vastly_ different. Gone were the towering and confusing staircases that formed the lair into a darkened maze. In its place was a simple vast open room. The path of the entrance tunnel led over a river that acted as a deep moat. Jack guessed as much by the tons of twisted, rusted metal that lay in the water. They still had the vague shape of their few still-hanging companions; the giant bird cages Pitch had used to hold the kidnapped Baby Teeth. The moat shaped the open space into an almost ballroom shape. In the center held the brightly lit negative globe that showed all the world’s children who believed in the Guardians. At the far end, the back of the ballroom, held a throne and a dimly lit torch high above it. All around the shadows clung to the walls, metal and even the throne itself.

 

The voice that called to Jack caused him to jump and hover: “Come to see the broken King, Jack?” It was soft, a whisper in the vast room.

 

Jack swallowed tightly before gritting his teeth and made very sure to get his feet back onto the floor and began to cross the moat. “What King? I’m down here looking for Pitch Black, enemy of the Guardians. I just had a teeny tiny Nightmare smack me in the face. I’m down here to check on its creator.”

 

A ghost of a sigh echoed in the chamber and the voice morphed into a sneer. “Oh, do forgive my poor Nightmare. She didn’t mean to disturb the angelic face of the newest Guardian. She was merely seeking food for her starving master. She was only one of two I had left. I do so apologies, _dearest Jack_.”

 

“Hm, you haven’t called me that in a while. No longer on full name or last name only basis? Boogey?” Jack smirked as he wheeled his staff around himself, watching for stray shadows, Fearlings or their master. “Back to not being believed in hurts, doesn’t it? That’s what you did to Tooth and Bunny and North, and…”

 

“Yes, it hurts greatly Jack. We both know this to be true, but unlike me, you never needed believers to hold onto your powers. You were able to nearly defeat a great army of darkness without a single believer. I do quite honestly wonder how you will be with a full city or more of believers.” The voice moved from snapping anger to what sounded like honest musing. “I know that about you long before the others.”

 

“Where are you, Pitch? Quit with the shadows and let me see you. I want that last Nightmare back to Sandy.” Snarled Jack as he passed the bright globe of believers, closing one eye against the brightness compared to the room.

 

“Keep going towards the throne, Jack. You will see us soon.”

 

Jack crackled his staff and fired a blast of blue ice lightning, shooting the glowing blue ice over the throne. That extra light finally allowed Frost to spy the Boogeyman.

 

Pitch looked sick, was Jack’s first thought as he gaped a bit. Pitch’s eyes were closed, but there were deep, dark circles under both of them. The Boogeyman was leaning his face on his hand that was against his squared armrest. Which brought Jack’s brain up to a surprising detail. At the moment, Pitch was robeless; the normal shadows he used for clothing was missing. His pants, which were in part his shoes were still there, meaning they weren’t shadows like before. There were deep bruises and cuts along the shade’s entire torso and arms. They looked purple against Pitch’s gray skin. The worst of all was the fact that Pitch _looked_ starved, even worse than when Jack first meet him 3 centuries ago.

 

“Shit” as soft as a whisper left Jack’s mouth, before he blushed at his foul mouth and covered it.

 

Pitch’s cheek pulled up some and his eye peeked open, gold and silver still in contrast with each other. “Tsk tsk Jack, what would the children think of such a word?” Pitch leaned off his hand in a small jerky movement. The action stirred another tiny Nightmare that rest on his lap, who looked up with its yellow eyes. It neighed and quickly fled at the sight of Jack. Jack didn’t follow its movement as it escaped.

 

“You… what’s wrong with you Pitch?” asked Jack after he cleared his throat. He relaxed is stance slightly, keeping his staff out and ready, but with one hand.

 

“As I said Jack, having no believers hurts me greatly. I went from the most powerful spirit to the _least_ in the matter of 20 minutes,” Pitch glared, but still tried to keep an air of dismissal with a wave of his hand. “Add into that a dozen of my mares decided my fear was what they needed has left me quite literally starving since you last saw me. I might not be able to _die_ from hunger, Jack, but I can certainly feel the pain. _I’ve felt it for years…”_ Pitch hissed the last of the sentence as he stood up. Gone was the grace and almost sliding motions; Pitch moved like an average human. Standing in front of Jack, it was obvious that Pitch only stood a half head above Jack now.

 

Jack did his best to stand firm in front of the evidence of long standing abuse. With Pitch standing up and his arms down, Jack could make out a pair of hoof prints on his left shoulder and just under the collar bone _._ They couldn’t be very new, but they weren’t healing fast like most spirit injuries did. Jack’s eyes flicked up to Pitch’s, but then quickly cast to the side. “Those don’t look like they are healing well. When did you get those?”

 

“Oh, the hooves? Those are roughly… 18 months old now? She was my last one, but I managed to separate her into a dozen small ones. You saw the last of my little Onyx before she ran off.” Pitch grinned at Jack’s shock as he moved around the frostling to the globe.

 

“18 months??! It should have been healed in a month at _most_!” stressed Jack as he turned around to watch Pitch. Spirits could heal from just about anything with time. Jack had snapped his ankle within the first few weeks of his afterlife and it took only a week to heal. Jack winced as he took in Pitch’s back, even more purple than the hoof prints.

 

“Again, staving dearest Jack.” Pitch tried for his old cooing tone, but it came off rougher than normal and Pitch’s fingers moved up to rub his throat. He cleared it gently as he strolled around the globe. “If I was at my height of power, I might even have my tooth back by now. But I am nothing if not patient. I always have been.”

 

Jack gripped his staff tighter as his eyes flicked along the floor. A range of emotions wrecked their way through Jack. Good, Pitch deserved to be beaten. _But for almost four years at the hooves of Nightmares?_ Sure, he damn near took over the world. _He just wanted to be believed in… like me._ No, there’s no way I am anything like him. I don’t need to feel sorry for him. _Does anyone deserve to be tortured?_ Jack growled short and low and slipped his staff to his shoulders. “We should have come down here, and converted the Nightmares back to dreamsand.”

 

“Hm, it would almost sound like you are sorry I was beaten to within an inch of my afterlife on a regular basis. Thank you, Jack.” Pitch spoke as he came back around the globe to stand near Jack, though didn’t look at him. “Though I am sure the others would not have minded so much, it is nice to hear from you, Jack.” The barest ghosting of an actual smile crossed Pitch’s lips as he ran a hand on a smaller collection of light. None of the even dimmed, though the Boogeyman gave no reaction to that. “I mean, given our history, I would wish the same for you, even as a Guardian.”

 

“Our history? Our once every 20-30 year verbal jousting matches that left us growling at one another?” Jack smirked as he moved next to the globe and Pitch, running his finger along North America. A few of the light briefly shone a tint of blue. Jack’s eyes caught Pitch’s canting head from the corner. Pitch reached up and traced the same line, but the lights didn’t change. Pitch’s eyes narrowed very briefly before turning his head slightly to Jack.

 

“Well, if I am correct in my math, you and I still have more history than you and North, or even the Rabbit. Correct me, but did you not first meet Toothiana and Sandy the night before I attacked the Tooth Palace?” Pitch question was light and airy, but his face showed how much he meant to hurt Jack with it.

 

Jack snarled and brought his staff back to the ready. “Leave the Guardians… I mean the others out of our history. How I interact with them and how I act with you is completely different.”

 

“Yes, do tell me how they are making up for those last 300 years of calling you nothing but trouble, or selfish, or perhaps ‘not noteworthy’. The rabbit was your most outspoken opponent when it came to your pleas to see into North’s workshop.” Pitch spoke, once more circling the globe calmly. “Honestly, by your powers and nature, you and North should have been work partners for his detestable holiday.”

 

“Shut it. We get along fine now. I have my own room at the workshop now, though I don’t use it much. _Our_ history was over and done when you tried to kill the others and terrorize the world’s kids.” Jack snarled as he moved away from the globe and pulled the glow to full power in his staff. He had a little Nightmare to take care of.

 

“They would not have died, Jack. Just like me, they would starve and wish themselves died, but a spirit needs extreme ways to be killed. I would have locked them away, alive and unharmed. Just unbelieved.” Pitch called as he moved to the visible side of the globe and leaned his back against it. His arms crossed, with some difficulty and his expression was neutral for the most part.

 

“Yeah, you made your ‘case’ in Antarctica. You really got me to think about it for a bit. You can play the sad guy well, Pitch, but it won’t work again.” Jack gave a last snap as he moved to light up the room with more blue ice lightning.

 

Long, thin fingers clasped themselves to Jack’s shoulder and held him fast. “I was not _playing_ , Jack. We _have_ history as you well know. I have known your pain for centuries and no new title or commands from the Lunar are going to erase those old fears...” Pitch hissed again as he pulled Jack’s back to his chest. “The two of us together would be unstoppable. I should have tested you and asked for your alliance ages ago. I vastly underestimated you based on your age and youthful nature. For that, I am sorry in numerous ways. Do you remember our sculpture in that white wasteland? I dream about the ways we could have decorated the lair with it and…”

 

Jack shoved back on Pitch at that moment and took a few steps away, turning to face him. He rubbed his shoulder, not in pain, but in discomfort of Pitch’s actions. “Stop grabbing me like that. We both know you only do that when you are pissed off. Look, I said it before: I don’t want to scare kids and I sure as hell don’t want them scared _of_ me. And I’m not scared of the other Guardians. Why would I be?”

 

“You fear your abandonment, as you always have. You now know what it is like to have believers. You fear that you will lose them, especially that one, Jamie wasn’t he? I understand that fear and I can confirm to you, it will hurt. But more importantly, you continue to fear the others because you hold so much of your happiness in their acceptance. What if they were to stop caring, or find that you continue ‘to make a mess wherever you go’?” Pitch quoted himself, though closed his eyes in almost a pained face. “I feel them within you _right now._ They are old standing fears; they taste stale, but so powerful.”

 

“Oh, now you ‘taste’ fear? Next, you’ll say that ‘your fear is delicious Jack. Let me feast on you’. Well, you can… fucking forget it. I’m not scared that I’ll lose the others because we protect children. Even if we don’t get together that often, I trust them. We are in this together.”

 

“I do not hear anything in your argument about your personal feelings. Tell me, do you still long to touch others without needing some special permission? You longed for a friend that you could simply hug whenever you wished. There,” Pitch inhaled sharply through his nose and a rush of breath came from between his blunt, wedge-shaped teeth. “There it was, the fear that I’m right. You don’t have that with them, and you might never. They are very busy with their jobs and yet you are fun, free and unrestrained. When was the last time you saw Tooth? Sandman? _Any of them?”_ Pitch’s voice increase in venom and the punctuated names hurt Jack enough to move to fully defend himself.

 

“SHUT UP!!” Jack erupted and blue ice lightning curved from his staff and flowed toward Pitch. The shade moved to the other side of the globe just in time, though a resounding crackle filled the whole of the room. A mild ringing filled Jack’s ears now as he panted in his anger. “What the hell do you know about me? My fears? I’M NOT SCARED OF A DYING BOOGEYMAN!!” Jack shouted his own venom and watched for Pitch’s return.

 

“No, you aren’t afraid of me. I never gave you a reason to fear me.” The voice had gone back to echoing in the lair. Jack wondered if Pitch had dissolved into his shadows to hide. “You were always a neutral party and I never had a gripe with you. Even when you tried to save Sandman and Easter, I did not want to hurt _you._ _BUT WHAT DO I KNOW OF YOUR FEARS?!!”_ The shout echoed with piercing rings through the lair, causing Jack to half cover his ears. “ _I AM FEAR, JACK FROST. I AM THE BOOGEYMAN, I AM THE NIGHTMARE KING. YOU WILL RESPECT THAT!!_ ” Suddenly Pitch was there in front of Jack, hands lashing out to the frostling’s shoulder and digging his blunt nails into the grooves of the joint. Jack hissed, but held fast to his staff in one hand and his position, glaring up at Pitch despite the pain in his head and arm. “I know fear, Jack. I have thousands of times more years on you to practice my craft. How about I teach you something?” Pitch kept his hands on Jack’s shoulder, but eased the grip, simply holding him. 

 

“Humans have five basic fears Jack. There may be several names, but there are five.”

 

Pain erupted from Jack’s wrist as a set of teeth snapped into it. Jack cried out as the last tiny Nightmare continued to chew into his flesh, drawing out his cool, pale-red blood. Pitch’s hand aided the Nightmare in causing Jack pain as the nails dug into pressure points along Jack’s shoulder and upper hand.

 

Too late, Jack noticed that his grip on the staff loosened. With a gasp of pain and panic, Pitch arm snapped down like a snake and sent his staff clattering along the stone floor to the shadows.

 

Jack yelled as he shoved at Pitch and twisted to get his weight down enough to push the shade aside. Pitch moved off of Jack’s arms and then out of his range with a snarl. With a snap of his wrist and a slice of his flat hand, the torch above the throne dimmed out. Shadows moved down from the ceiling and covered the blue ice, effectively turned the lair into complete darkness.

 

Jack reached out his good hand to snatch for the Boogeyman, but cried out again as the Nightmare’s teeth finally exited his flesh. He stopped his legs from buckling but he still bent over at his waist as he tried to stem the bleeding of his wrist. “PITCH!!” Jack screamed through clenched teeth.

 

“Those fears, Jack, the fear of one’s self ceasing to exist. Not simply death, but the fear of losing the things that make a person themselves. Perhaps think of it as losing your center of ‘Fun’. Would you be Jack anymore?” Pitch’s voice echoed from the darkness, but now it was not alone. New sounds, like the gnashing of sharp teeth and claws sharpening on stone sounded as background noises to Pitch voice. The Boogeyman’s army of Fearlings were adding their voices to Pitch’s. “Those two fears drive most. Then there is a fear I know you have. The fear of being permanently separated from others. No respect, no friendship. No love.” The other noises increased, but Pitch’s voice was getting quieter and closer to Jack. “The fourth is the fear of captivity. Unable to make your own decisions, to think for yourself. For your thoughts to not matter. And lastly, the fear of mutilation. Of another acting upon your person to disfigure, torture, violate or mutilate you. Can you understand these fears, Jack?”

 

“YES! I understand them! I’ve seen them. Pitch, stop it!”

 

Jack’s shout brought an instant calm to the lair and Jack shivered at the stillness.

 

A pair of gold and silver eyes shone through the darkness down at Jack’s face. A pair of hands took Jack’s injured wrist and a bandage was gently tied around the wound. A second bandage, this one holding an ice pack to the skin, wrapped around the first. Once Jack’s wrist was tended to, those long, thin fingers ghosted themselves up the sides of Jack’s face. The palms rested on the hollows of the cheeks, the thumbs making gentle sweeping motions under Jack’s eyes. They didn’t brush away tears, as Jack had none, but seem to be meant to me a soothing motion. Jack fought against the inviting warmth of the hands.

 

“Pitch… I… shit” Jack had no idea what to say. He was pissed, he wanted his staff, but Pitch deserved some respect for his center. Pitch knew fear and he knew it well.

 

“I must apologies Jack, and please humor me, for I must do it several times. I am sorry for your wrist. I was angry and I can act foolishly when I am. Your staff is unharmed and will remain so. I _am_ sorry that I never asked you to join me all those years. Even if you wanted to remain neutral, it is a true regret of mine for not seeking you out. We would have made an excellent team.” Still the thumbs rubbed Jack’s flesh, causing some of the tension to leave Jack’s frame.

 

“Most of all, I am sorry that my little Nightmare found you. She was looking for fear, Jack. I sent her out to find some fear and bring it back to me… and you came.” An immediate sense of foreboding hit Jack in a wave at Pitch’s phrasing. He moved to jerk away, only to find himself frozen. It was a light, almost airy force that held him, like a solid strip of air pressure. It was so light that only when Jack jerked to move away did he feel it. It covered his entire body. The darkness literally held Jack fast and in Pitch’s grasp.

 

“Pitch… no. Don’t…” Jack stammered and blinded eyes flicked up to the other’s glowing eyes, searching for a sign of this being a joke. Pitch couldn’t be thinking of holding Jack. This just seemed to break so many rules in Jack’s mind; even as enemies.

 

Pitch’s fingers dug gently into the tops of Jack’s cheekbones, thumbs still ghosting. A slightly strangled noise escaped Pitch’s mouth just before he cleared his throat. “I _need_ fear Jack. I can not tell you the pain of starving for five years and being unable to die. More than just not being believed in Jack. Forgive me, but I am so hungry.” Pitch’s gripped tightened again and his eyes closed and a pained breath was drawn in by the shade.

 

“What are you trying to do? This is me, Jack. You can’t do this Pitch. You can’t make me fear you.”

 

“I am sorry Jake,” the eyes stayed closed. A whoosh of air was what came next, followed by a blinding pain in Jack’s left temple as the eternal teen’s body drop into unconsciousness.

 

 

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of Chapter 1

 

Got to say, it’s so nice to write again. I haven’t done so since college and I haven’t done so since I was diagnosed with a reading and writing learning disability. I can promise that that news was a colorful shock as someone who loves writing.

 

From here on out, it’s going to get bad for all involved. What’s going to happen, I can’t tell you cause my muse Boogeyman keeps giving me different ideas. In the long run though, everyone involved in this story is going to get hurt. They might just be hurt and not hurt and comforted.


	2. Is this real life...is this just fantasy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack escapes Pitch's grip and flies for North...
> 
>  
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> New Tags: Drowning* choking* angry Yetis* angry North* Armed and dangerous Yetis* Armed and Dangerous North* confinement* self-inflicted wounds* isolation* depression* small musical moment* starvation* shadows on the wall* shadow travel* broken nose* lots of yelling*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this done ages ago, but I am looking for a pre-reader to catch my mistakes. No luck in finding a pre-reader and I am too in love with this to wait anymore.
> 
> Any anyone wants to help, I would be soooooo grateful.
> 
>  
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sound of bubbles traveling through water

 

That was the sound Jack recognized as he started to wake up. It was a sound he would always recognize; he had heard it as he woke up under his lake. Jack’s first memory of his new life and it featured many times in his dreams. He even felt like he was in his lake all over again. Jack blinked his eyes open and was not surprised to see it was true. He even felt his old clothes of his frame as he floated up slowly. His first memory in a dream, Jake relaxed as he let it play out.

 

_It was dark and it was cold and I was scared_ , Jack chimed in his mind with mild snark now. _But then I saw the moon_ … except Jack didn’t see the moon through the thick ice above him. That… wasn’t right. The Man in the Moon had pulled Jack out of his lake, suspended him in the air as Jack was told his name. This wasn’t right.

 

_Thunk_

Jack’s body met the ice that covered the surface of the lake. This wasn’t right. Jack pressed his hand to the ice and pushed, but all the ice gave was a soft, low rumble. Jack’s other hand came up, dragging through the heavy weight of water and wet clothes, to push up. He even added his feet to the pushing, but nothing gave way under the moonless night.

 

It took a moment for Jack to recognize he was in pain. It was coming from his chest and it felt different from a bruised rib or a blow to the heart. His chest was burning and he huffed out against the pain, and watched as air bubbles floated up from his mouth. That was it! He wasn’t breathing and for the first time in his immortal life, he _needed_ to. Of course, breathing was a reflex, he did it all the time, but now he NEEDED AIR!! Fear and panic immediately set in at Jack’s realization and his poundings became frantic. More air escaped his lungs, nails throbbed in pain as they tried to cut through the ice. The sounds of frantic movement sounded in Jack’s ears as the weight of water seemed to increase. He was getting tired, his chest was giving out and vision was blurring.

 

He was dying again.

 

A hand shoots through the ice, ripping the ice in moments and taking Jack by the throat. Jack feels himself pulled up through the air and thrown into the snowy ground around the suddenly melted lake. The winter spirit begins coughing and half retching the water from his body, eyes shut to the pain in his lungs. As his body begins to drain of fear and it realizes he is not dying again, Jack turns his blurry eyes back to the lake.

 

Pitch stands on the unfrozen lake, casting out a wide shadow that takes up more and more of lake as Jack watches. Pitch’s face is turned up to the sky, eyes peacefully closed, as he takes deep breaths through his nose. He looks like he is enjoying some scent in the air by way of his relaxed face. Jack does a mental double-take; this is Pitch in his prime. No dark circles under his eyes and his face is back to its normal fullness. He was back in his classic shadow robe with the long V and his skin was once again darkened. Pitch takes one last deep breath and sighs happily through his mouth before turning his eyes and face toward Jack with a bastard of a smirk.

 

“As I said, Jack, fear of death is one of those fears that everyone feels once in their lives,” cooed Pitch in his classic voice as he walked on his shadows toward shore. “And some fear it even in their afterlives. I had wondered how the Man in the Moon called you back to life, so to speak. I would say it’s almost poetic.” Pitch’s feet crunched against the snow as he moved to stand by Jack’s head. “Do not worry, Jack. This is simply a nightmare,” the shadow man purred as he knelt down and patted between Jack’s shoulders as if to help the boy expel the water.

 

Jack did his best to glare up at the King, but a solid retch knocked his eyes back to the ground… which was quickly becoming black sand. The frostling jerked his hand from the material and moved to hover, but no wind came to his call. A shadowed hand took his own and pulled him from the sand and made him upright.

 

“There we are, the temper is coming back to the surface I see,” Pitch admitted with obvious disappointment. Jack glared up at Pitch, but then he gave a small gasp of surprise as the scene continued to change. Gone were the trees and sky, and in their place was Pitch’s old lair. The stairs weaved in every direction, making the change even more disorienting. Jack, realizing he was gapping again, shut his mouth and took a few steps back from the monster.

 

Just as suddenly as the scene changed, so did Jack as he stepped back. Gone were Jack’s old shirt and cloak and back was the blue, frosty hoodie. The only thing missing now was his staff… which suddenly appeared in Pitch’s hand.

 

“Ah, you were just thinking about your crook, yes? Thank you, Jack. This will make the next steps much easier. Come, we should talk before the next nightmare.” Pitch cooed with a smirk… that didn’t reach his eyes.

 

“Alright, what the hell is going on, Pitch? This is low. Trying to keep me prisoner in a nightmare? This is dirt low… no, this is crap on the bottom of your shoe low.” Jack called as Pitch took up a set of upside down stairs while Jack took a set that corkscrewed up.

 

Pitch’s teeth were set in a snarl, his nonexistent eyebrows turned down in a grimace. “Indeed, this is very low of me. More than you might realize, Jack. I make it a point to let the Guardians know when I am attacking, even if it is through misdirection. Holding my enemy hostage, after he so trustingly walked into my lair… _yes_ , it is very low. However, I will repeat, Jack. _I am starving_. It has been hundreds of years since I hungered so badly.” Pitch paused along the ceiling above Jack’s head, holding Jack’s staff behind his back. (If only Jack was three feet taller.) “I will tell you a secret, Jack. The night you and I met? It was my first night back in the Americas. I had finished turning a small village in the Caribbean against each other through their fear and paranoia. It took me 20 years and it was the first time in 50 that my stomach was not rolling in on itself in gnawing, cramping pain.  You likely were not told this, Jack, but you need to feed your center and feed it often. Yours is _fun_ ,” Pitch snarled and sniffed his nose in disgust. “North’s is wonder and so on. Mine is fear. If you do not feed your center, you feel the same pains as a human would when starving. However, unlike humans, we cannot starve to death, so the pain continues until you have fed. Did you ever go hungry in your human life, my little frosted zombie?” Pitch purred the last part, looking down at Jack with more of his old teasing face than his outright nasty one.

 

Jack tried jumping up and reaching for his staff, growling that he couldn’t even get close. He continued to glare at Pitch even as the question was posed to him. “I… don’t have all my memories back. I get new ones every time I open my tooth box. But… I remember one winter. We… we didn’t have enough. My father had to sell a few of our pregnant ewes just to get enough grain. There were 2 weeks…” Jack stared at his feet, hating _hating_ that he could understand Pitch to some degree. He whined and blinked up as you felt the same air pressure as before as saw a piece of shadow coming off Pitch to pat his shoulder. Jack would like to believe Pitch meant the gesture in a non-condescending way. “But that doesn’t excuse you, Pitch. You are holding another spirit captive. That’s got to break a hundred different rules.”

 

“Perhaps unwritten ones, and my own moral code,” (Jack snorted at Pitch having a moral code) “But spirits take others captive for their own means at times, Jack. In this case, you are a spirit. I can feed directly on your fears and feel better much faster than if I feed on 10,000 humans. I will try to do this quickly,” Pitch spoke again. Something was wrong with Pitch’s body language. He… was not happy about this.

 

Pitch closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Suddenly, his face changed to his nasty, sadistic one and his eyes leered down at Jack. Jack felt a shiver of anticipation and a small amount of nervousness. “It won’t work Pitch. I am _not scared of you_!!” snapped Jack.

 

“Oh Jack,” the voice echoed through the lair now as Pitch was swallowed by his shadows. “You will be.”

 

The shadows attacked him from all sides at lightning speed. Jack called upon his minimum frost and tried to shove them away. He needed his god damn staff! The shadows snapped around his wrists, his ankles and continued to swarm. He was drowning in the shadows; his chest was being constricted by the whirling mass of them. Then Fearlings started to appear. Blobs of semi-sentient shadows giggled and cackled as they, too, swarmed Jack. They grabbed at his throat with their short fingers, squeezing more air from Jack’s body. Jack was pulled down deeper into the moving darkness, gaging and fighting. He pried the fearling off his throat, took a deep breath and screamed Pitch’s name…

 

 

 

And snapped awake with a gasp. His eyes panicky scanned the room. This was Pitch’s new lair-no stairs, broken cages… and Pitch. Jack held his breath as he scanned the Boogeyman, his face highlighted by the glow of the globe. Pitch seemed to be in a trance; his eyes stared unblinking at the globe. Was Pitch still in the nightmare world? Did he not notice that Jack was awake? Jack’s attention quickly moved from Pitch to the curved staff that lay at the base of the globe. Jack gulped down quietly and moved as stealthily as he could, catching the staff with his toes and using his flexible body to swing it to his hand.

 

Suddenly the Fearlings on the wall snarled and moved to swarm Jack and wake their master. Jack bolted; there wasn’t much wind down here, but it was enough to propel him out of reach. Jack hurtled back down the entryway, but he still heard the echoed roar of Pitch: “FROST!” Jack sailed as fast as he could, listening for his oldest friend's voice. It came, not from above like before, but from the end of the entryway. The wind was chilled and carried the scent of fresh snow. Jack flew out and up until he finally surfaced and continued to sail up, to keep out of reach of Pitch in case he followed. Jack climbed into the clouds and hovered there, watching the ground below. Seeing no moving shadows or Pitch himself, Jack sighed and gave a small whoop. The others needed to know about this. Jack definitely couldn’t risk Pitch getting to Burgess and turning it into the fear capital again. Jack turned and headed for the workshop, taking no mind of the cloud covered moon.

 

It took a few hours, but Jack was finally over the workshop. He moved to sail down to the front entrance, grinning as Phil and Steve looked up at him and spoke Yeti. He really needed to learn the language, he thought as he touched down. “Hey guys. Is the big man too busy? I think we have a problem and I need…” Jack started as Phil’s arm came down, blocking Jack’s path into the main hall of the shop. “Easy, Phil. You kinda spooked me there. Seriously, I really need to talk to North. Is he with the reindeer then?” Jack once again moved for the door, when suddenly he was shoved hard enough to make him fall. Hissing and covering his right shoulder, he stared up in shock. It had been ages since the Yetis were angry at him, let alone pushed him away.

 

“Phil? Come on man. I _need_ to see North and…” Jack’s eyes widen to saucers as Steve brought forward a long, sharp pike and pointed it at Jack. Ok, it’s been decades since he had one of those in his face. Searching up into the Yetis eyes, Jack only saw tense anger in them. “Guys… it’s me, Jack Frost. Guardian of Fun? Protector of Kids?” The two Yetis looked at each other with confusion and talked, but neither moved out of the way. “Guys, listen. Pitch is up to something. You know, Pitch Black, the Boogeyman.” That seemed to get the Yetis attention and they spoke in more rushed tones. Steve nodded and placed the pike down while Phil scuffed Jack by his hoodie and dragged him inside.

 

North’s Workshop was a multi-building complex all connected through wood and ice tunnels. The main building was six stories tall with four floors viewable from the outside. It was the main toy production area and also housed North’s globe of believers. The carved wood decorated everywhere in the building and they were now decorated themselves with numerous traditional Christmas items. Tinsel, wreathes and multiple trees now filled any of the previous empty spaces. The scents that moved through the air told Jack that Christmas treat baking was in full swing. The scents, and all the elves walking around with cookie trays, that is.

 

The Workshop was in full disarray with only three weeks until Christmas. Jack finally got his feet back under him, and tried to tug himself free from Phil, but the Yeti only held on harder. Jack huffed and tried to think of what set the Yetis off this time. The last prank he pulled was back before Thanksgiving and it was only freezing Phil’s red paint. Hell, Jack had helped unfreeze it the same damn day. It slowly dawned on Jack that Phil wasn’t the only one pissed. At each and every workstation they passed, the other Yetis turned and glared at Jack. Phil was dragging Jack up to the fourth floor: North’s planning room. Jack was just about to ask Phil what was up when the Big Man himself came into view.

 

Jack had always been impressed by Nickolas St. North for a number of reasons. First and foremost, he was Santa fricking Claus, every kids’ hero. North towered over Jack by at least a foot. Of course, North towered over most spirits for that matter and his bulky frame only made him seem more massive. Despite the size of said frame, Jack knew that underneath the small roll of a tummy lay the muscles of a warrior. At the moment, North was wearing his normal red work shirt, his multi-red color pattern belt and a pair of dark tan pants, covered in ice shavings and some wood chips. The man’s white hair and beard, along with his bright blue eyes, match Jack’s own so well. He wouldn’t tell North this, but he was really starting to look at the man as a father. The dark eyebrows were in a frown though, and his tattooed arms-both Naughty and Nice lists- caught Jack’s eye. Most specifically, the fact that Jack’s name was number one of the Naughty list.

 

“Jack Frost? I will say, I am surprised to see you,” spoke North with the tone he reserved for Jack’s big pranks. The tiny paint prank got _this_ big of a reaction? Damn, he’d have to remember to pull his last pranks on Halloween or something.

 

“Hey North. Can you get Phil off me? He’s trying to strangle me, and it’s kinda hard to kill a spirit.” Jack joked and motioned his staff to Phil’s grip.

 

“Things considered, you should call me St. North, Frost.” Half growled the Russian warrior, his arms folding in front of his chest.

 

Jack jerked back in shock; he never told anyone to call him Saint North. Hell, Pitch even called him North. The hairs on the back of Jack’s neck were starting to get up. “I’m… not sure I understand, North. No one calls you St. North. Heck, none of the others even call you Nickolas. Even Pitch- “

 

North lodged and took Jack by the scruff instead of Phil and even held Jack in the air. “You! Do not tell me who calls my name. You are very lucky I let you in after you have done.” North spoke with a level of anger Jack had never heard, and definitely never directed at him. North even shook him a little before dropping him. “Now, you report about Boogeyman and leave.”

 

Jack was struck dumb; this was above and beyond angry at a prank. This was turning into a really bad joke. “North… I live in the West Wing attic room. You invited me to stay five years ago. I’m the Guardian of FUN!” Jack flailed his arms to highlight how upset this treatment was making him.

 

North’s eyes widened and held a mixture of confusion and fury. “You?! A Guardian? HA. You been nothing but trouble,” Jack chest clinched. “You nearly destroyed us; do you not remember Easter where you almost killed Bunny?” No, this was wrong. “You got in way and let Pitch nearly win!” North’s voice rose and Jack’s body caved in on itself more to the larger man. “I promise you, Bunny would not be speaking with you like me. Now what do you know of Pitch?”

 

“No, this is wrong!” snapped Jack and moved to hover so he was more face to face with the angry Russian. A shout from Phil should have drawn Jack’s attention, but it didn’t. “I helped you save the world. I am a Guardian just like Manny said. I AM A GUARDIAN!”

 

A furry hand took him by the leg and slammed him into the wooden floor. More shouts, this time some even in Russian filled the air and Jack was rolled forcefully to his back and a saber was to his neck. “Think. Of your next words. Carefully, Jack Frost.” North warned with a dangerous tone, the sword’s edge resting just off of Jack’s skin.

 

“North, please, this joke is too much! I am a Guardian! You kidnapped me and brought me here and TOLD me Manny wanted me to be a Guardian. Please tell me you remember that.” Jack stressed in his voice, blue eyes pleading for sanity to return to his leader and friend.

 

“Da, Manny called up your image when he told us to fight Pitch. We _thought_ it meant you were to be Guardian. Until you helped Pitch ruin Easter.”

 

“No, North, I still helped you take care of Pitch. I found Jamie. I found the last light!” pleaded Jack. As he spoke, frost- in worried, fear driven spirals- flowed from the staff along his side to his pants and the floor beneath.                      

 

North’s eyes widen and the saber shook for just a moment before continuing to rest on Jack’s shivering throat. “How do you know of the last light? You were nowhere near Burgess! None of us have seen you in five years!”

 

Jack breathing grew into panting, aching breaths. If he could sweat, he knew his shaking palms would be soaked. No, this was all wrong. This was…

 

A bad dream.

 

Jack’s poor frozen heart would have stopped again once the idea entered his mind. Of course, this was still a nightmare. The idea caused a sigh to exit his mouth followed by chuckles.

 

“Oh Pitch. You really got me good. I actually believed this crap.” Jack looked up with a smug smirk at a confused looking North. “Let me up, Pitch. This dream is at an end.”

 

“You are more out of touch than I thought. Where is Pitch, Jackson Frost? Are you helping him with his next plan?” snarled North.

 

“Oh, shut it, Boogey,” snapped Jack as a crack of ice lightning coiled up and across to flash freeze the saber and North’s hand, causing the other man to yelp. Jack quickly flew up a good distance, smirking down at what he was sure was Pitch and Fearlings. “Come on, Boogeyman, drop the act. Give me your next nightmare.” Jack crowed as he crossed his arms and was the very picture of confidence.

 

All up until the point where a heavy-metal mace slammed into Jack and sent him flying into the far wall. Skidding slowly from the wall to the floor, Jack was dazed and shook his head.

 

‘ _Don’t be afraid, Jack. I’m not going to hurt_ you _,’_ called a cooing voice from his memories. _‘I never gave you a reason to fear me…_ _Even when you tried to save Sandman and Easter, I did not want to hurt_ you _’_ came the rougher version of the voice.

 

That… had hurt like hell. Jack’s fear returned 10 fold. Pitch wouldn’t hurt him. Hell, even Pitch breaking his staff was more shock at the power drop than actual pain.

 

“You are with Pitch, then Frost?!” snarled the angry North as more and more armed Yetis entered the space. “I should have known. Get him!” called the Russian in a charge and all of those there descended upon Jack.

 

Jack took off up high as fast as he could and weaved his way along the ceiling, some of the weapons missing him by inches. He zoomed to the main workshop and over the top of the globe. Above him were more Yetis that watched and yelled at him through the banisters. Below him, North and other Yetis yelled up at him.

 

“THIS HAS TO BE A BAD DREAM!” Jack screamed at them all, hoping to be heard over the angry noises. “I AM A GUARDIAN! I HAVE A HOME HERE! YOU AND ME ARE FRIENDS, NORTH! You’re… like a father to me.” Jack said in a normal volume as the others had quieted during his shouting, voice trembling just a touch.

 

North stared up at him, he rubbed his beard slowly with his unarmed hand. He turned to Phil and said something in Yeti. “Frost, why do you believe you are Guardian? I tell you, no one has seen you in five years. Since that Easter, and we have looked, especially Bunny and Tooth.”

 

“I don’t understand, North. I have been working with everyone for the last five years.       I have helped you with Christmas toy designs for the last three. I try and visit Bunny and Tooth once a month at least. I see Sandy whenever I can. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m not lying.” Jack twisted his hands around his staff, his anxiety radiating off of him. His chest ached as North motioned the Yetis away and began to hover lower. He wasn’t a threat to North, even in a dream.

 

“This is what you remember? You remember being Guardian and friend to us?” questions North again as he approaches the low-hovering Jack and offers his hand. Jack sighs in relief and takes it, only to feel it crush his wrist like a manacle. “You are no Guardian.” Jack frantically jerked his arm to get it away. “You might not be evil like Pitch, but you are dangerous.” The Yetis were closing in, some with chains, others with ropes. “You have lost your mind. You must be kept from others. I am sorry.”

 

“NO!” screamed Jack as his staff sent another flash freeze to North’s hand away from his. Ropes and chains whipped through the air and landed on him, trying to pin him down. Jack again took to the air, using his staff to pull off some of the restraints. Icicles blasted the ropes to pieces, but a chain held tight to his ankle. Even with his staff blasting ice at full power, the chain did not freeze over or snap. Jack tried to call up an ice wall between himself and the others, but more chains hit him from above, slamming sores and bruises into his back. He was still air bound and fighting when North jumped from above and crashed them both onto the floor.

 

Chains, locks, even a gag wrapped themselves tightly around Jack until he was trapped in a mess of steel. His eyes looked up and pleaded with North again as the man took Jack’s staff. “You are very sick, Jack Frost. For now, I will not hurt you. But I can not have you outside. You know of Jamie; that is very odd. There is more going on than I understand right now. But it is bad time. For now, you will be kept here, in barracks. After Christmas, I will call Guardians to understand your sickness.” North motioned the Yetis and the group moved together to take Jack away, screaming and thrashing as they went.

 

 

 

And that was where Jack was now. Screaming at the top of his lungs for someone to let him out, to listen to him. Between screams, he sobbed and slammed his hands and feet into the metal door or the stone brick walls of this basement barracks. His knuckles were a mix of fresh blood and scabs and his toes ached from stubbing them. He had been left his staff, but it made no difference. The material of his cell was not reactive to the cold; unsurprising since they were in the North Pole. The small six by eight by ten room allowed Jack room to move, lay down and even hover, but he was still trapped.

 

As a free flying, globe traveling spirit, one of the worst things for Jack was confinement. This was well beyond anything Jack had experienced; and made all the worse by the fact that North was the one to shove him in here. Looking around the room now, Jack chanted to himself that the walls were _not_ closing in on him. They _weren’t_! Panting breath and streaming tears, Jack dropped to the floor again, squeezing his hoodie with his hand. He didn’t even know how long he’d been down here; no windows, no clocks, and he didn’t need meals to give him an example of time.

 

That didn’t last long though, luckily. After some time, Phil arrived with a few books, a windable clock and a sketch book and pencils, passing them through a flap at the bottom of the door. Nothing Jack said deterred the Yeti from leaving without even a look at Jack. Jack pulled the items to the far corner and wound the clock, even if it was already.

 

 

 

Jack made note of the passing three weeks in his sketch book and making tallies on the wall. He hadn’t spoken to anyone for those 21 days, even if new things were left daily or every other day. That had hurt so much after five years of friends. Jack had doodled all the important moments he remembers from the war until now. He would show North the evidence he had. Maybe showing them would snap North to sanity.

 

 

 

_Another day… another week… hmm hum him hmmm_

_Another day… another night… hm himmm hum day again._

_The sun as fled… I go to bed… and scratch a line on the wall._

_Another day, where nothing changes at all_

 

Jack slowly sang the sad musical under his breath, humming the few parts he couldn’t remember. It was really suiting, Jack thought as the clock struck the 12 and his 43rd line was written on the wall. 43 days alone in a cell. Jack felt his arm drop lifelessly to his side after making the mark.

 

He hadn’t seen North again. Phil or another Yeti came by every few days still, exchanging the books, giving Jack more paper and pencils. No North. Jack was alone.

 

Always alone.

 

Jack paid no mind to the tears rolling down his eyes anymore, they were constant. His hands and feet were still bloodied and bruised from pounding on the door and walls.        Jack might have been worried about his healing rate if not for the gnawing cramps that traveled through his stomach night and day. Just as Pitch said, you need to feed your center. Jack heard the pencil roll along the stone floor as he let his body flop over in dead weight. His fingers stroked his staff as the cramps made themselves known without the distraction of the clock.

 

Jack was constantly tired now, weak from starvation, bored and lonely. He couldn’t even hear the wind since being down here. Jack closed his teary eyes, and rubbed his staff, hoping the mild hypnotizing movement would lull him back to sleep.

 

“Jack?”

 

Jack opened his eyes, wondering if he had actually heard something, or if his mind had completely snapped. The tiniest movement happening along the wall in front of him didn’t clear that idea up, so Jack just closed his eyes again.

 

“Oh, Jack,” breathed the voice again, full of surprise and pity. Jack opened his eyes again to see the bruised and battered face of Pitch Black. His body was a wisp of shadows that danced slowly along the wall. Pitch looked a little better than last time, but still starved and purple.

 

“Pitch?” Jack questioned, his voice a rough whisper from disuse. “How?”

 

“Oh, Jack. What has happened to you?” Pitch whispered as his body became more solid and his long arms reached down to Jack’s face. Jack wondered if he looked as starved as Pitch, but he doubted it. Pitch had several more years on him in the starvation market.

 

“Oh, this?” Jack did his best to joke with his state of being, and gave the tiniest of smirks. “Didn’t you say something about feeding your center? I’m pretty sure I can’t feed it in this hole. No offense to your lair.” Jack took note of Pitch’s confused face as the shade moved Jack into a seating position on the wall.

 

“Your center? Is it not winter? We are in the North Pole; surely you should be fed,” questioned Pitch as he took note of the room, brushing his hands over the notebook full of doodles.

 

“My center is _fun_ , you know that. Please Pitch, cut this nightmare off already. I am pretty sure you got what you wanted.”

 

Pitch’s face changed into deeper confusion and ran his hand over Jake’s scalp. Jack did his best to swat the hands away, not wanting Pitch to touch him. “Get off me, Boogeyman.”

 

Pitch’s hand snapped to his chin and pulled up Jack’s face, making them look eye to eye. “Jack, tell me the last thing you remember before waking up in my lair.”

 

Jack rolled his eyes. “I arrived at your lair cause your Nightmare whacked me in the face while I was patrolling Burgess. You decided to feed your center with my fear, but I guess it didn’t work cause I woke up… or didn’t. North wasn’t acting right! He threw me down here… I’ve been here so long.” Jack squeezed his eyes shut to fight the tears, but they poured anew. “I don’t understand; I’m the Guardian of Fun. I’ve been a Guardian for five years. I have believers… but I don’t feel them locked in here.”

 

“Shh Jack,” hushed the Boogeyman as he took the eternal teens cheeks in his hands and rubbed his thumbs along the pale under-eyes. “I knew you would wake up with false memories, but to this degree… your mind is an amazing thing.” Pitch chuckled with no real humor.

 

“False memories?” Jack questioned as his hands came up to Pitch’s, but couldn’t decide to push away or let him continue the touch.

 

“Jack, you have been in a coma for the last five years,” Jack’s body stiffened in shock and confusion. “After I… threw my fit over your refusal, and broke your staff, you collapsed. I am guessing that your staff is connected to more than just your magic. I believe it is connected in part to your life force. You collapsed and only regained consciousness when you fled my home. I have been tending to you all this time.” Pitch kneeled himself down more to Jack’s level as the boy’s breathing once again became frantic. “I’m sorry, Jack, but any ‘memories’ you had following the breaking of your staff are false. It was a way for your mind to piece itself back together.”

 

“No… NO NO NO!!” screamed Jack as he flailed and twisted from Pitch, balling up his fist to strike. “You lying sack of shit!” Jack drove his fist into the shade chest, knocking Pitch backwards to the floor. “I know who I am! I’m Jack Frost, Guardian of Fun!” He lashed out again, though Pitch knocked his fist to the side. “This is just one of your goddamn nightmares!” This time Pitch caught his fist and pulled him off balance, causing Jack to tumble roll toward the door.

 

A call of a Yeti silenced the two of them and both turned toward the door. Quick as a whip, Jack grabbed his staff and began calling. “Phil! Steve! Somebody! Pitch is down here!” A hiss of breath sounded from the Boogeyman as shadows moved along the walls and snapped over Jack. Ice lightning cracked along a good mess of them, keeping them off, until Pitch snapped his hand over Jack’s wrist. Shadows and Fearlings spread from Pitch robe and moved to consume Jack. Pitch’s hand deferred the staff while the other shadow king’s hand covered Jack’s mouth. The shadows built and built until Jack was covered. Suddenly, it was like the floor gave out from under him and the two were falling. Air rushed around Jack’s ears and yet he felt suffocated. Just as suddenly as it started, the floor was back under their feet and Pitch’s shadows gave way to the glowing light of Pitch’s globe.

 

Jack struggled anew and Pitch allowed the frostling to exit his grasp. Jack’s panic quickly gave way to anger and a blast of ice lightning struck Pitch in the chest. The Boogeyman flew back several feet before smacking into the floor, chasing the air from the shade’s lungs. Jack snarled under his breath and charged the downed King, slamming the crook of his staff into his sharp, thin nose, hearing a sickening crack. Pitch cried out and rolled to his side as he reached up to take his broken nose in hand. Jack paid little attention to the thick, partly gray blood that flowed freely. Temper satisfied for now, Jack took a few steps away from the man and leaned on the globe. His adrenaline drained and his confusion and fear returned. Could he really have been in a coma for five years? Was his whole mind a lie?

 

“I believe that was a bit uncalled for, Jack,” spoke Pitch as he moved to a sitting position, jerking his nose into place with another sick crunch and a hiss. The red-gray blood continued to flow as Pitch moved to stand, oddly ungraceful. “I got you out of that prison and your first reaction is to break my nose. You really should do something about that instinct to fight first rather than talk.” A shadow melded itself around Pitch’s hand and left a handkerchief in it as it disappeared. The cloth was quickly moved to the rapidly swelling nose as the Nightmare King moved closer to Jack. Jack’s quickly moved out of arm's distance and hovered in the air.

 

“You have got two minutes to _explain_ to me how all my memories are somehow fake. Cause I sure as hell don’t believe that for a second, Boogey.” Snapped Jack as he kept his distance, hands gripped his staff and twisting in angry motions.

 

Pitch blinked and gave a sad sort of smirk. “I thought I would detest hearing that nickname again. I do not though. Jack, you have been in a coma, down here, for five years. As I was the one to cause it, I decided to take responsibility for your care. Based on the Guardians reaction to you being down here during the Easter Stampede, I guessed they would not have taken care of you. I am more than a little sure that the rabbit would have ‘taken care of’ you in a very different way.” Pitch moved around the room as he spoke, using his shadows to summon a small fire to bring light to a nearby torch. Several other lights began to glow throughout the lair. What caught Jack the most off guard was the fact that a dark blue futon like mattress with black sheets was off in a corner. It looked well used, but disorderly. That wasn’t adding up to what Jack knew of Pitch. How could the Boogeyman get under a futon?

 

“The process of your recovery was a long one, made all the more difficult by the fact that I had to move the two of us a few times. Sanderson was quite… insistent about reclaiming my lovely mares.” Pitch spoke with a touch of sadness as he placed his summoned mini fire to the torch over his throne. Four full bodied Nightmares neighed and reared slightly as they appeared and approached their master to nuzzle him. One of the mare broke away and instead flew up to Jack, sniffing at and nibbling at his hoodie sleeve. Jack drew his staff back, but the Nightmare was quick to take the hint and flew back to the others. “Please, Jack. Calm yourself. Do not take your frustration out of them or me. We will work through your false memories together.”

 

“In case _both_ of us are brain dead, or the more likely idea that I’m still having a nightmare, I’m not interested in being here. I am sure as hell not interested in helping _you_!” snarled Jack, gritting his teeth even harder at the fake look of pain that crossed Pitch’s face.

 

“Jack…” Pitch started with that damn sad/pitying voice, before shaking his head and petting his mare’s nose. “I am not _your_ enemy, Jack. I never have been. I certainly am not now that I have tended to you for so long. Was I the one to put you into a small room with no company?” Jack winced, but that only made his temper hotter.

 

“I am done here. Even if my memories are fake, which I still don’t believe, I need to talk to the others. I am _not_ helping you.” Jack tore off before he really finished talking, ignoring the shouts of protest that called after him. He needed to find the others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2 in the bag! … I told you I wasn’t nice.

 

Next chapter has Jack running into Jamie… or more likely, Jamie running into Jack… or even more likely, Jamie running through Jack.


	3. The Lost of Hope and Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Warnings: Mind snapping, small self pain, haughty teenager, graphic and brutal violence, someone in a position to help ignore/aiding said violence, first hints of a crush, description of the results of said violence, threats of further violence and imprisonment, violence and injury upon what might be considered a child, shared bathing, and teasing over nakedness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to warn you: THIS.IS.LONGGGGGGG. This one chapter is longer than the previous two combined. 'How?' I have no idea. 'Why is it written differently?' I also have no idea. 'What the heck happened, you said Halloween?' Life. I now have a full time teaching position, and have suddenly been hit with a 2 by 4 by a possible publishable idea. 'What does that mean?' That means I only have time off on the weekend and I will have to divide my time before my lovely Jack and my new fantasy world. It does not mean I have stopped on this. Actually already have a bit of make out fun going in chapter 4. It just means I will not give any estimation on time until I know more.
> 
> P.S. This chapter is COMPLETELY virgin; even those closest to me have not had a chance to read it.(Like Jack, bam-boom, tsk) As such, I am sure there are plenty of mistakes. Please forgive me; edits will arrive over time.

 

 

Jack’s mad dash out of Pitch’s lair had him sailing high into the sky. The clouds were too low and thick for any of the moonlight to shine through, but Jack liked that. The clouds would hide him from all; the wind wrapped the clouds and thick moisture around him like a shielding blanket. The frostling hovered in the mass and tried to catch his breath.

_False memories… coma… any ‘memories’ you had, following the breaking of your staff, are false…_ Each of Pitch’s words swam in Jack’s head. The ice sprite curled his arms and hands to his chest, feeling a great wave of panic come through him. He gave his chest small nail bites as he curled in on himself even tighter, clutching his hoodie. His breathing gasped as he tried to wrap his head around the idea that his mind filled the last five years with fake happiness.

 

Part of Jack’s mind growled at him; Pitch was a damn liar. All his memories were real. THIS WAS A DAMN NIGHTMARE!!

 

Except that there was no way for so much time to pass in a nightmare. He remembered watching that clock for literally days, the thought causing Jack to shake more and a deep body ache to curl up again inside him. Even with the whole open sky and the wind hugging and comforting him, Jack wondered if he would ever be comfortable in a small room again. The thoughts and his body’s reaction to them was making him feel physically sick, and a strong gag constricted in his throat. Jack covered his mouth and hurtled to the ground, where he laid his shaking body down and suffered through his shivering limbs, panting breathes and retches that produced nothing.

 

Jack laid down for what felt like ages, trying to piece his mind back together. He finally decided that the only way to see if Pitch’s words rang true was to talk to the Guardians. Not North though. Definitely not North as fresh shudders coursed down Jack’s back and his stomach tightened again. Tooth would be at her home in India, which was always too hot for Jack. He remembered trying to visit her once with just his normal flight and was knocked on his ass for three days. After that, Tooth would meet him somewhere.

 

Wait… if his memories were false… Jack hissed and growled behind is teeth and drew his fingernails down his face. He could _not_ make sense of this. If his memories were false, then why were they so detailed? He needed someone to explain what was going on, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be Pitch.

 

Jack finally willed himself up into a seated position, one knee bent up so his staff could rest long ways on his knee. Memories were really Tooth’s thing, but if his memories were false, then the last interaction he had with the Guardians was just after he got his teeth. The others thought he had helped Pitch destroy Easter. None of them would be interested in speaking with him…

 

AGHHHH his mind raged with The Guardians his mind knew and The Guardians that would be if Pitch was right. If Pitch was right, Bunny wouldn’t want anything to do with him, North had already held him captive, Tooth lived in an area that could lay him out and make him enter a form of hibernation and Sandy…

 

Wait, if his memories stopped after his staff broke, Sandy might not even be back. Jack gasped and grinned and jumped to his feet. That was how to prove his memories were real. If Sandy was alive, then everything… No, Jack leaned on his staff in a slump. Whether Sandy was alive or not had nothing to do with Jack. Jamie…

 

“JAMIE,” Jack half hollered into the night sky, adding a bit of hysterical laugh to the end. No matter what was real or not, Pitch _had_ lost and Jamie _was_ the last light. Jack needed to see Jamie; Jamie was a rock for Jack to lean against.

 

Jack sails back into the air and twists himself toward his little light. The flight is easy in the gloom and he quickly settles at the Bennet house’s fence. The TV room light is on, and he can see a mop of brown hair in the center of the couch. Mom was in the kitchen it looked like, Sophie in the armchair and Dad was on the right side of the couch, leaning over the arm to get more light on his book. Jamie and Sophie as booing and hissing at a wrestler on the TV, making Jack grin. Sophie hadn’t liked wrestling at first, but she always followed Jamie’s lead…

 

Jack shook his head and growled, before standing up from his perch spot and hoping up to the roof. It wasn’t their bed time yet, and real memories or not, there was no way Jack was going to pop in the house with mom and dad close by. Jack rested his back against the chimney and pulled up his hood. Waiting sucks, but when it’s important you have to do it.

 

Jack was coating the roof with a small layer of frost when he saw it. A thin ribbon of golden sand began snaking its way through Burgess from up high. Jack gave a small gasp and a grin covered his face. Sandy was alive! Sandy, the strongest and yet most understanding of all the Guardians. Sandy was good natured, gentle and had a wicked sense of humor and merriment that Jack felt akin to. The golden man didn’t even need words, his face gave great insight to what the man thought.

 

Jack made a move to leap up, but pulled his joy back. He had walked with blind faith to North and gotten put in a cell. Sandy might not have cells, but Jack knew how powerful Sandy was. North and Bunny worked for the world’s children once a year. Tooth worked for millions every night. _Sandy_ helped every child _every_ night. If Sandy wanted Jack in a cell, he’d find a cell. Jack needed to approach him the right way. He swallowed a lump in his throat and ghosted gently up to where the sand started from.

 

Jack ended up flying behind Sandy and his golden sand cloud. Sandman was a tiny thing, coming up to Jack’s ribs. The golden man was round in the middle, but had seemingly short limbs. His hair was spiked into large points that gave the appearance of him being half a star. All of him was golden, though his skin was a paler shade than his hair. One of Sandy’s features that Jack loved was his dark gold, round nose. Everything about Sandy gave Jack the feeling of a warm, gentle uncle.

 

Sandy was made of sand, oddly enough. He could dissolve and reform, but he was powerful enough to keep his form as he spread his sand over the world. His clothes, also sand, were a simple one piece with a scarf that covered his neck. Right now, Sandy was weaving his hands through the air, sending good dreams this way and that.

 

Jack gulped and a shiver of fear at what was possible ripped up his back. Thinking a show of peace would be best, Jack raised both of his hands and his staff above his hand, in his best ‘I am here to talk’ position. “Sandy?” called Jack.

 

An exclamation mark of sand popped above Sandy’s head as he turned quickly towards Jack. The mark dissolved just as quickly as Sandy’s eyes scanned him. A few thoughts obviously passed in the Guardian’s mind based on his face. Surprise at seeing Jack, confusion, a brief moment of anger, more confusion, anger again before finally settling into a neutral face. Sandy gives a half-hearted wave, before signaling that he wonders why Jack is there.

 

“Sandy, please please _please_ give me five- maybe ten- minutes of your time.” Jack asked as he pulled his arms down and flew a bit closer to the sand cloud. He jerked to a stop the moment Sandy’s fist clenched. “Just to talk Sandy, I swear!” pleaded Jack for extra measure.

 

Sandy looked him up and down and was obviously calculating something. He held up a finger and one last long thread of dream sand blazed its way south. He then sat down on his sand cloud and folded his arms. He gave the ‘go on’ gestured with his head.

 

“Thanks Sandy,” Jack hovered on the edge of the dream cloud. Fake memories of friendship or not, Jack still knows/thinks it’s best not to crowd the dream weaver's cloud. “Listen, Sandy. I first want to say how happy I am to see you,” Sandy’s eyes went wide, narrowed and became neutral again. “Like, really glad. You are the calmest of the Guardians and I really need a calm ear right now. So, have I been missing for five years?” Jack questioned and slumping as Sandy nodded.

 

“Ok, now with what I am about to say, don’t get mad. I am NOT helping him.” Sandy’s eyes narrowed and Jack’s breathing stopped for a moment. “I just got out of Pitch’s lair,” Half a dozen exclamation marks flew over Sandy’s head. “Sandy, please, believe me when I say I was not there by choice. Pitch said I was down there, in a coma, for five years.” Sand symbol blurred and Sandy’s face was a mess of emotions that Jack couldn’t quite keep track of. Overall, Sandy was concerned. “The thing is, I think this is a nightmare. I have memories, Sandy. Memories for the last five years. You and me, the others, we beat Pitch, and I took the oath. WE are friends.” Sandy was stunned and slowly shook his head no. “But see, if this is a nightmare, you’d say that, I mean OWW!!” Jack yelled as Sandy full-on slapped him in the face. Rubbing his cheek, Jack moved to yell at Sandy, but he caught the symbols over his head. ‘ _Dreams don’t hurt, Jack’_ was the overall message.

 

“So, I was in a coma,” Jack slumped so much that he actually lost some air and had to sail back up to the cloud. “But you guys beat Pitch right,” Sandy nodded. “Then why was I in his lair?” Sandy shrugged and appeared unconcerned. “Anyway, so I was in a coma for five years. I woke up a bit over a month ago and,” Jack’s throat tightened, but he pressed on, “I went to see North. Sandy, he locked me up. For over a month,” hands clinched in his hoodie again at the fresh wave of illness. “I didn’t help Pitch, Sandy. I never helped him. He tricked me on Easter… I know I was stupid, getting sucked into his mind games, but I didn’t help him. Please, Sandy, please.” Jack flinched as Sandy had to wave for his attention this time. Sand blurred to show Jack in a cell, then Jack out of a cell and a question mark. “Pitch. He took me back to his lair again. I think he is trying to get me to help him. He tried that in the Antarctic. That’s when he snapped my staff and I guess I went into the coma.” Sandy’s face was screwed up tight as he thought. He motioned downwards and he and the sand cloud started down over Burgess. Jack followed. They hovered over Jamie’s roof as Sandy paced his cloud.

 

“Sandy?” voiced a curious teen out of his window. Jamie Bennet, now 13, grinned out his open window. The now gangly teen beamed up at them and whooped half quietly. “Sandy, hang on. We’ll be right out,” Jamie said as he mimed a shush symbol up at the dreamweaver and closed his window.

 

Jack’s heart bloomed as he glided down to the fence line. He really loved the kid. All goodwill and kindness in one kid. He watched as Jamie made sure Sophie had her mittens and her boots on before the two tiptoed down the steps of the porch. After the last step, Sophie went blazing towards them…

 

And right through Jack.

 

It was like the air being forcefully vacuumed from his lungs. The panic of being walked through dulled his senses enough to barely register when Jamie did the same. Gasping for air, Jack dropped to his knee and his staff clattered to the sidewalk.

 

_Any ‘memories’ you had, following the breaking of your staff, are false…_ Jack had a small sob catch in his lungs. Everything after… Jamie never saw him. The three of them never went skating on his lake. They never celebrated Christmas with North on the roof.

 

Jack had still never been believed in. Gasping, panic breaths poured out of Jack before turning into heaving sobs. The tears quickly froze to his face in thin lines. He rested his forehead against the pavement and fought against the depression and pain moving within him.

 

"Hey Sandy, whatcha looking at?... Oh, there's another spirit here? Why can't we see them?" Jack heard Jamie question. Sandy must have been signing something to them. Jack couldn't look. It felt like a hole was in his chest and it was sucking everything else up that was in his body.

 

"Even'ng, ankle biters," joined a new voice, sending Sophie into squeals of delight and the sound of small boots running to the right. Even though all his pain, Jack's body tensed completely at _that_ voice.

 

Anyone but _Bunny_...

 

Jack and Bunny had _never_ had an easy relationship. Blizzard of 1968 was all Bunny ever talked about. A phantom pain in Jack’s ribs caused a deep groan to pass through his lips between sobs. Jack had to settle himself quickly and get the heck out of here. If everything in five years was fake, then Bunny still thought that-

 

“Well, well. The little stinkin’ ratbag _is_ here,” Bunny growled and was sounding closer. Jack was pulled very unceremoniously to his feet and the large paw/hand grabbed the front of his hoodie to hold him. “And just what are you doing showing your _pretty_ mug after all this time, hm?” Bunny leaned his twitching nose down to Jack’s and Jack could see the fire burning behind the Easter Bunny’s green eyes.

 

  1. Aster Bunnymund posed an impressive figure for being an alien, anthropomorphic rabbit. Gray/blue fur covered most of him with large white patches on his belly, his lower muzzle and his snow shoe sized feet. Darker fur formed designs and markers on his arms, forehead and back. Clumps of longer fur decorated his collar bone and just above his knees, feathering and giving him even more to be imposing with. While only a few inches taller than Jack, his huge ears could be counted toward his full height. Last of all were his leather wrist guards-decorated with details and small gems- and the leather strap that crossed his chest. Those held his weaponized boomerangs and Jack was not interested in meeting them.



 

“Easy, Bunny, easy,” croaked Jack, raising his hands like he had done with Sandy, though one made its way to rub his frozen tears off his pink cheeks. “I was just talking to Sandy about the coma-“

 

“Oh, I know, mate. He sent me a little sand egg and told me to come here. Seems you’ve got an answer to what you’ve been doing these last five years.” snarled Bunny and Jack saw some tremors going down the rabbit’s forearm. Jack got the impression that Bunny wanted to shake him.

 

“Hey, Bunny. Who are you two talking to anyway?” questioned Jamie, in a mildly haughty/typical teenage voice. Sophie was nibbling on her mitten, squinting her eyes like that would help her see Jack. Sandy waved at them to get their attention and made an X in his sand. “What? We can’t know this other spirit?” mused Jamie, ripping another hole through Jack. A wrenching gasp exited the eternal teen, but Bunny’s hand and position didn’t allow him to curl in on himself.

 

“Best not to, James. This rat bag caused a lot of trouble five years ago. Sandy wants to talk to him, but it’s best you lot aren’t here for it. Head in for a bit, a’right?” Bunny noted, even giving a head nod to Sandy to take them.

 

After the two were inside, a blazing fast left foot delivered a powerful, rib bruising kick right to Jack chest. The blow took all of Jack’s air and his body went skidding parallel to the road, his back cracking into a street lamp. Bunny was on him in a second, crouching on all fours, hand digging into his hair and slammed his head hard into the concrete. Immortal or not, pain was a real thing for spirits and Jack cried out from the blows.

 

“Bunny! WAIT!” Jack raised his staff to knock the next blow away and clawed his way out from under the Easter spirit. “We need to talk!! Please, just 5 minutes!”

 

Bunny pulled the ice spirit back and crouched over him, snarling down. Jack moved to ice the spirit, just enough to get away, but Bunny’s hand came down on Jack’s wrist and ground it into the pavement. “You wan’a talk, mate? Alright, I’m listening. But it better be a damn good explanation.”

 

Jack grit his teeth at his wrist pain, but he was not going to just lay down and take the abuse. The only way to have Bunny listen was to give back just as much. Snarling, he got his feet up and into Bunny’s stomach and shoved him off. He hovered himself inches off the street and sailed to the other side. Bunny looked ready to leap at him again, but Jack threw up an ice wall. Clear enough to see through and just thick enough to stop any initial attacks.

 

“I didn’t help Pitch!” screamed Jack, growling through his teeth and wringing his staff. “Look, I was stupid and fell for his damn mind tricks, yes. But I didn’t help him! I made a mistake, Bunny. I admit that. I was… selfish. I just… wanted to remember who I was.”

 

“Who you are? You’re Jack Frost! The most selfish gronk and mess maker in all the seven continents! I damn near died that Easter and all you’ve got are excuses. Just like 1968, you are a fuck up and that’s all you are.” Bunny grabbed his boomerangs and looked to advance on Jack.

 

“I am… was… I am a GUARDIAN!” Jack snapped back and blue lightning ripped through the air, causing a small snow storm to start. Bunny stopped short and turned his head. “I know… Gah, it’s so hard to explain. I have these memories, of the five years I was in a coma. Memories of us working together. All of us. I help paint eggs and I clear off Easter and we prank each other-“

 

“Did you not just hear yourself, you wanker?! Memories from a coma? None of that happened! The last we saw of your _pretty_ mug was Easter, when you let Pitch kill my googies! I. Damn. Near. Died!!” Bunny hopped to the top of the ice wall and dove for Jack. A smaller ice wall that Jack formed was the thing that saved him.

 

“Then why is it so detailed?!” Jack pleaded as Bunny slammed his foot on the ice. “Why can’t… why can’t this be a nightmare?” Jack slummed as his heart ached again. “I’d rather this be a nightmare.”

 

“Nightmares’ are Pitch’s work. You want them, go see him.”

 

_Crack_

Bunny’s foot punched its way through the ice and into Jack’s face, laying the winter spirit out flat. The rest of the wall shattered as Bunny shoved Jack’s staff out of his hand and into the dried grass nearby.

 

Bunny then beat Jack to a literal bloody pulp. Blows rained down to his temple, directly to his eyes, the bridge of his nose. Clumps of hair were ripped from the scalp line and thrown to the side. A heel kick snapped something in Jack’s left hand. A few blows landed over Jack’s heart, while full force kicks dented his ribs and bruised his internal organs. Bunny jumped and landed his full weight on Jack’s right knee, snapping it out of place. Short, but sharp claws gouged his face and down his neck, letting blood seep into his hoodie. Jack’s back was not spared in the beating; blows and nails raining everywhere.

 

Through it all, Jack tried to fight back. Until his hand was broken, Jack punched at Bunny’s nose and pulled at his ears. Until his knee was snapped, he had kicked his heels at anything in reach. The thing was that Bunny had weight, muscle and experience in this. Bunny knew to disarm and handicap Jack. None of Jack’s screams, pleading or in pain, slowed the pummeling.

 

Panting, and delivering one more blow-this time to Jack's defenseless family jewels-Bunny finally got off him, allow Jack to cry and whimper in peace. “I’ve been wanting to do that for years, not just cause of Easter. Don’t let me see your face ever again. Got it? Especially around them,” Bunny actually spat on Jack’s face as he moved off. A thump of a furred foot to asphalt, a swoosh of an opening tunnel, and Bunny was gone.

 

Jack was a mess, he knew. He wondered if his nose was broken-a tiny amount of pity stirred up for Pitch- and touched his minor ice powers to wrap around it. He needed to ice his whole body, it felt like. Rolling to his stomach, even as pain lanced through him, he tried pulling his way to his staff. It was slow, and very painful, work. Grabbing on to the staff sent a wave of mental relief through Jack and he moved it to his back. Soon a layer of frost covered his body and started to numb him.

 

A crunch of rocks under hooves startled Jack, and he did his best to look over his shoulder. It was a Nightmare and it was making its way to him, head low and steps slow. Jack wondered if it would attack him in this state, but as it moved to his head, it pulled its legs in and sat by him. Its sandy lips nibbled at his hoodie and mouthed his hand. The damn thing was trying to be comforting.

 

Jack snorted a laugh from his nose and winced as a fresh ache erupted through him. He tightens his grip on the staff and more frost poured over his body. “What’s up, horsey? Did you see the show? Bet Pitch got a kick out of it after I broke his nose.”

 

“Jack, you really should know me better by now,” the accented voice of the mare’s creator sounded from the mare itself, sending a shiver through Jack. Slowly, the horse’s shadow morphed into Pitch himself. He pat the mare as he approached Jack. He was looking better; hell, his nose was straight already. The Nightmare King knelt down and his hands hovered over Jack like he sought to help.

 

Jack’s did his best to growled, but his lungs ached and they spasmed Jack into a coughing fit. Everything, _everything_ hurt. “Hello again, Boogey. How’s the nose of yours? Does mine look as bad as yours did?” Jack tried to have some bite in his tone as he pulled himself off the ground. Flying with a broken wrist and dislocated knee was not going to be fun, but he needed to get somewhere to recover.

 

“I must say, it is gloriously bruised, but I believe your eye is in far worse shape.” Pitch’s hand gently caught Jack’s shoulder and stopped him. The other hand touched the back of his knee. “Roll back, Jack. I will get you somewhere safe and cold.”

 

Jack stopped and a flutter of something went through him at Pitch’s gentle touches. Pitch, in the 300 years they knew each other, was sparing with his touches. He usually reserved them for grips or shoulder brushes. Still, Pitch was the one who touched him more, and more regularly, than any other spirit. It still did weird things to Jack when they happened. Sighing, he looked back at Pitch. The shade’s face was mostly neutral, but it seemed to hold genuine concern. “I don’t think your little matchstick arms can hold me, Pitch.”

 

“I, like you, am far more than skin and bones. Thin as we are, we both have plenty of muscle. If you are concerned of my reasons, I can assure you I have no plans or intentions other than getting you out of the path of the rabbit and Sandman.” Pitch moved a bit closer to allow himself to brace the teen when he did roll over.

 

Jack winced. Sandy… Sandy had called Bunny here… He had _let_ Bunny beat him to a bloody pulp. Looks like Jack needed to be wary of all the Guardians, except Tooth maybe. Sandy, of all people… Jack rolled himself slowly backward, gritting his teeth to stop the groans and hisses of pain. Pitch adjusted his hands and drew Jack fully into his arms, before standing up and walking the two of them to a shadowed wall. “Wait, how did you find me?” questioned Jack.

 

Pitch’s eyebrows-eyebrow muscles?- arched and he looked down at Jack. “You were dripping in fear for at least 20 minutes. It was easy to track you. I caught the last of Bunnymund’s attack. I’m sorry Jack, but I’m still not strong enough to attack them. I would have pulled you out of such a beating if I could have.” The shadows jumped off the wall and quickly surrounded them. Just as the teleportation suffocation was starting, Jack caught sight of the Nightmare eating the leftovers of his ice wall.

 

Soon the shadows fell away from the two spirits and it was apparent that they were back in Pitch’s lair. The lair was starting to get back to its normal shape. The rusted metal bird cages that were in the stream were gone. The large room was now being sectioned off by some of the returning staircases. The blue futon had been moved closer to the throne and was now fresh and clean with some black, metal furniture around it. Jack wondered if they were where the bird cages had gone. Pitch moved Jack, not to the futon, but instead to the floor that was surrounded by a pillar of light from the ceiling. Putting Jack down was a not so gentle a tale, but not for a lack of trying on Pitch’s part. Shadows crept along the floor to the futon and brought over the pillow. Pitch was just slipping it under Jack’s head when the Nightmare with an ice-filled stomach arrived.

 

“Ah, lovely Charcoal. Smart girl,” Pitch reached through the sand horse and brought the chunks of ice out of her. He put them around Jack’s form, which Jack wanted to scoff at. He was a literal winter spirit, he could make-

 

“Of course, you could blanket half the world in ice. You could just as easily take care of yourself, but I think this is a better option. You need to rest, Jack. Reforming yourself in ice is not good for rest.” Pitch quipped like a mind reader. Once all the ice surrounded Jack, Charcoal came over to nibble his hoodie again before leaving. “She’s off to get some more material.” Pitch mentioned as he nudged Jack’s back up to slip a flat sheet of ice into the back of his hoodie. The flutter feeling happened again, but Jack ignored it in favor of the relief of the ice to his bruised form.

 

“Why are you helping me Pitch? I am _not_ going to help you scare kids.” Jack did his best to snarl, though the sound was cut off. Pitch had pulled up the very bottom of his hoodie in the front and slipped another plane of ice inside and pushed it up from the outside. Jack was glad his snarl hadn’t turned into an embarrassed epp like he was sure it would have.

 

“Jack, I have been taking care of you for five years. I hope to be allowed to continue to do so now that you are awake. At least until you come to understand what has happened to you. Especially with the false memories you said you have. It must be very jarring to you.” Pitch spoke softly and moved this ice chunk around or that one, until Jack’s worst areas were covered. “I will ask if it is alright if I move this last piece to your pants. Not inside, of course, simply on your seam. I can not imagine the pain you feel. I have never known the rabbit to engage in such dirty fighting tactics.” Jack winced at the question but gave a short nod. The ice covered his groin gently and Pitch never directly touch his pants.

 

“I’m just… so confused,” Jack sniffled around the ice piece that was placed on his eye and nose. “My memories are so detailed. Everything…”

 

“I can imagine. We will talk about all of this later, Jack. Right now, just rest.” Pitch waved his fingers and a tiny amount of black sand swirled around his fingers. Jack tensed at what might come next, but Pitch shushed him again. “I will remove the nightmare as soon as it takes hold. You will sleep normally. Rest well, Jack,” And the sand fluttered into Jack’s eyes and took effect quickly.

 

**

 

The winter spirit was super groggy as the world started to come back to him. It was a dreamless sleep, and his whole body was like lead. The pillar of light had moved from overhead to slightly to his left. Looking down himself, he saw that he was now covered in snow as much as ice and a Nightmare, full of the two, was lying at his feet. Jack wondered if that was Charcoal or his own nightmare. Jack reached up to his nose and felt it was still tender, but not nearly as bad as before. Jack moved to sit up slowly, feeling dulled aches all over and caught sight of a makeshift brace on his hand and wrist. His movements woke the horse, and it quickly stood up and ran off. Pitch arrived just as Jack was pushing the ice from his knee.

 

“You are sure ice or snow is not your center? You are healing remarkably fast with just them.” Pitch mused as he knelt down and pulled some of the large ice shards away from Jack’s sides. Long fingers brushed off the snow from his knees down, grazing Jack’s bare ankle. Jack’s flutters always got stronger when someone gave him skin to skin contact, but once again, he ignored it.

 

“Guess I don’t know anymore, since the last five years have been a lie!” Jack half shouted, half growled. Pitch had a half smile, like he was agreeing with Jack’s confusion as he finished brushing the snow from Jack’s feet.

 

“I can understand your frustration to a degree. I have false memories as well. I have memories of being a gallant space knight, who actually _aided_ the Lunar army. I believe it is the memories of a Fearling that was once one such knight.” Pitch mused and continued his motions, even as three of the Nightmares arrived. They too were full of snow and ice. They took almost sentry positions around the two of them.

 

“So, who are you Pitch Black?” mused Jack as he pulled his staff close and formed a shell of ice in his hand. He held it up to check his face. His left eye was half swollen, but the bruise was already healing. The bridge of his nose was a sickly, half-healed color. Worst of all was that the whites of his eyes were bloodshot. Jack sighed and put the mirrored ice down.

 

“I am as you see. Pitch Black, King of Fear and Nightmares. The original physical form was someone, I have no idea who. Whether some of his personality is what makes me me, I have no way of knowing. The past is unimportant to those of us who live so long. Who I am, and who you are, are who we are now.” Pitch smiled at Jack’s defeated sigh. “I know you wish to know who you are. That was why I tempted you with your teeth, but they were not going to change you, Jack. You have been Jack Frost for 300 years. You are who you are.”

 

“You are awful preachy today,” Jack joked with an old smart ass smirk. Pitch narrowed his eyes, but shrugged. “Speaking of teeth, what happened to them? My memories tell me I opened them and found out I had a sister, whom I saved.”

 

“I am unsure, but I have a guess. I tossed them aside in the same direction I threw that mini-Tooth fairy you were taking care of. I assume that once Toothiana and her clan gained back their powers, the mini fairy took the box back to their palace. Now Jack, modesty aside, I would like to take your top and have it washed. Would that be alright?” Pitch’s hand formed a mass of shadows that took the shape of a similar hoodie.

 

“I guess so,” Jack reached for his right sleeve, but hissed as his left hand protested from inside the brace. Pitch laid the shadow hoodie over Jack’s knees and pulled at the sleeve at the cuff. Pitch never touched his skin directly as he removed the top, but Jack’s shy modesty still had him flushing blue. Once the top came off, the shadow hoodie dissolved and suddenly appeared on Jack. It was like wearing the thinnest silk or cotton.

 

“Still shy as ever, dear Frost?” Pitch jokingly questioned with a sly smirk. It had always been a teasing point for them after Pitch had found Jack running naked in the ocean off of Florida in the 1860s.

 

“Bite me, Boogey.” snapped Jack, hugging himself over the shadow hoodie. One of the Nightmares came over and took the hoodie from Pitch and vanished away.

 

Pitch grinned before his face turned serious as his hands rested on the sides of Jack’s knee. Touch gently, Pitch got his fingers into the dislocate groove and looked to be gauging what needed to be done next. “I wanted to do this after you got some rest. Are you ready?”

 

“I really hate this,” Gritted Jack through his teeth and grabbed his staff with both hands. He had had no help with his last dislocation, but any dislocation just sucked.

 

“Better dislocated than broken,” Pitch mused and suddenly twisted Jack’s leg and shoved it back into place, wincing at the scream Jack made. Pitch reach over for a piece of ice and wrapped it tight to Jack’s knee with his shadows. “There, I believe that’s everything back into place.” Pitch stood up and called the other mares over to pull the ice and snow out of them. His shadows moved to stockpile the material close by.

 

“Fucking fucky fuck,” Jack swore and chewed on his good hand to stop other swears and growls. Jack made a wrap of ice over the block Pitch’s shadows were holding and covered his leg from mid shin to mid-thigh. Panting breath and a twisting nausea in his stomach, made Jack flop right back down.

 

“Such a mouth,” Pitch lip curled as he finished his winter stockpile and moved back over to Jack. His hands wiggled their way under the frostling’s body and pulled him up into a classic bridal hold and moved them over to the futon. He actually _tucked_ Jack _in_ as the shadows slithered his pillow back under his head.

 

“So… I guess it’s time to talk huh?” Jack made himself comfortable; his shape indented in the mattress.

 

“Are you sure you are ready for this, Jack? We could wait for a few more days. At your rate of healing, you should be whole by then.” Pitch moved a metal chair over close to the futon.

 

“I guess it’s the only way to start understanding what’s going on in my head, right?” Jack smartassed an answer, his own smirk curling up as Pitch gave a mild eye roll.

 

“It seems the coma has brought us back full circle to before that Easter. I have missed your barbs.” Pitch gave a half grin before taking a deep breath and cleared his throat.

 

“As I have mentioned, after your dismissal of our team up, I snapped your staff. You dropped like a stone immediately after. I tossed your staff on your prone form and was about to leave, but some of the old, good-blood between us told me to check on you. I could not rouse you, and I was… dedicated in my attempts.”

 

“You totally bitch slapped me, didn’t you?” Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

Pitch coughed gently into his fist and crossed his legs at the knees. “A number of times. One of my lesser moments. The echo of our good-blood sounded through me and I brought you back to the lair, and kept you in a back room with a few of the girls,” Pitch waved his hand towards the Nightmares. “Charcoal developed a… well, for lack of a better immediate term, a crush on you. She has been the one laying with you all these years. After I brought you here, I realized the last light was not fading. I set out to snuff it out, but the Guardians got there before me. Jamie had roused his friends and together, the lot fought back my mares and myself. Sandy was returned to form as the children touched my girls and… I was soundly defeated.” Pitch’s tone was airy, but his face showed just how pissed he was. He even took a moment to chew at the pad of his thumb, an old habit of stress for him.

 

“I returned to the lair and found myself with 12 Nightmares to my name and one comatose frost spirit. I will admit… there was a time I blamed you for not getting to Jamie sooner. If I had not brought you here, I would have gotten to him. I locked you away in a far part of the lair and did my best to ignore you as my home began to fall apart. Charcoal pestered me through my… brooding and I finally went back to get you. With my lair degrading, I decided to move all of us to the main room. I seek the girls to fetch you some bedding and that is where you have been until almost a month and half ago. I found you at North’s thanks to being attuned to your fear. I am sorry I could get to you sooner.” Pitch apologized.

 

Jack looked up at the cavern’s ceiling and thought it over. “Were you going to kill me?”

 

Pitch shifted uncomfortably and sighed loudly. “For a short time, I thought about it. I even did some research, as killing a spirit is very difficult. A few magic spells and magical weapons with dismemberment allow it to happen. Those feelings did not last long. Looking at you, day after day… the echoes of our old blood turned from echoes to voices. Other… feelings came into play soon after. I wanted to protect you.” Pitch held on to Jack’s eyes and Jack wondered if those flutters going through him had ever gone through Pitch too. “I was so shocked when you woke up, I couldn’t even give chase.” Pitch uncrossed his legs and leaned over to Jack. “Now, Jack. Let us first come to an understanding. I will not ask you to aid me in driving fear. I am simply asking you to stay here until you have come to terms with your false memories. After that, you can go back to being the most troublesome, smart-mouthed winter spirit I lo-know. Does that seem acceptable?” questioned Pitch.

 

Jack chose to ignore the slip; thinking of it more as a ‘spirit I know and love’ error. He mashed his lips and thought of the request. He was definitely not in any shape to go flying off in the world… and the bed was comfy, as his eyes grew heavy again. “I’ll make that deal. But how do I start dealing with them?”

 

“One of the best ways is to talk about them. I will listen. But understand, Jack. Your last _real_ memory was of me snapping your staff. The Guardians are not happy to see you and they are not interested in hearing about your false memories, no matter how real they are to you. North imprisoned you, Sandy called on Bunny so that overgrown rabbit could brutalized you. I imagine Tooth is the only one who would listen to you. I would still be careful, should you seek her out in the future. Her crush on you would likely make her listen to you, but it is also likely the others will end up warning her of your awakening beforehand. She might be under orders to detain you. In the end, it might be best you return to your nomad life.” Pitch pulled a book from the metal bookshelf next to the bed.

 

Jack’s memories of his room at North’s shop came to mind, and brought tears to his eyes. His feelings of family and friends, of believers, of knowing who he was-all false. Jack rolled over to face away from Pitch and threw more of the sheet over his head. Soon, a gentle touch to his shoulder and a thumb rubbed a circle into the junction of his neck and shoulder. “You are welcome here, Jack. Even when you are healthy and whole.”

 

**

 

It was three days later when Jack was healed enough to move around on his own. Pitch had been close by; like a hovering parent almost. Jack got his blue hoodie back soon after, but Pitch converted one of the metal bird cages into a chest of drawers and filled it with shadow clothes. Charcoal was hovering just as much as Pitch and the three of them had headed up top together to get fresh bandages and first aid ointments for the scratches of Bunny’s claws. Everything was healing nicely, but still needed protection. Jack’s ribs and chest were free of bruises, but wrapped in bandages still. His eye still looked a mess, but no longer swollen.

 

Jack decided he needed some fresh air by himself tonight, but called Charcoal with him for a fly. He figured it’d give Pitch some comfort to take the Nightmare with him as he was planning to head to Burgess. Bunny warned Jack not to get near Jamie or Sophie, but a part of Jack’s heart knew the kids were meant to see him.

 

The two lonesome spirits still hadn’t talked about Jack’s false memories. Jack found them too painful and Pitch was patient, wanting Jack healed first. Jack was sure he’d have to talk about them soon, but he just didn’t want to admit them.

 

Hovering over the town, Jack felt a tingle of joy at the cold, cloud covered night. The clouds were thick and heavy and it took only the tiniest of Jack’s power to seed them with snow. The snow fell thick, fluffy and slow. Tomorrow morning would probably have a good 4 inches on the ground. Perfect for an epic snowball fight. Jack watched as some kids were already dancing in the snowfall, a cute little girl with pigtails trying to taste it. Her mother pulled her hand and pulled her quickly down the street. Adults just could not enjoy a snow day.

 

It came out of nowhere, a brilliant speck of blue and green. It was tiny and lightning fast, and Jack’s heart leapt. Could it be?! Jack jetted after the tiny blur. Charcoal neighed loudly, but Jack’s mind was on the tiny image in his mind. He caught up with it just as it arrived outside Sophie’s window. “BABY TOOTH, WAIT!” called Jack.

 

The tiny mini tooth fairy epped and turned around. The blue, green feathers fluffed in surprise of being seen and called. She was tiny, easily fit into Jack’s palm. Her eyes were amethyst colored, like her matriarch, with pink feathers around them like eye shadow. A thin, black beak made up her nose while golden feathers gave her the appearance of a necklace. A single gold feather bloomed from her forehead, similar to her queen’s. A plume of blue, green feathers gave her a tail that looked like a flare from coat tails and her mini wings buzzed to keep her hovering. She gasped and chirped happily in her language and buzzed straight over to Jack, nuzzling his nose.

 

Jack folded his hand over the tiny fairy and nuzzled his cheek to her. “Oh, Baby Tooth. I am really happy to see you.” Jack sniffled some and just held the tiny fairy. Until he felt her shiver and a tiny sneeze came from her. “Oh, sorry. I make you cold, huh?” He let the tiny fairy go and she buzzed a short distance away, rubbing her arms. That’s when Jack noticed a quarter on her waist. “Oh, you are out for teeth tonight? Sophie’s?” Baby Tooth chirped a confirmation to both questions and held up her fingers. She pulled her second finger down, leaving only one. “Her second to last tooth?” Baby Tooth nodded and moved to the window.

 

“Wait, Baby Tooth… I have a favor. Has Sandy or… Bunny visited Tooth lately?” Baby Tooth’s expression changed to one of regret as she nodded. She hovered closer and touched her tiny hand to Jack’s bruised eye. She rubbed it gently and hovered back. “Yeah, Bunny did this. Look, Baby Tooth, _you_ know what happened on Easter. You know I was an idiot in listening to Pitch, but I didn’t help him.” Baby Tooth nodded, though she did give his nose a flick over his stupidness. “You know I am no threat to you or kids or The Guardians. I just want to check on Sophie and Jamie. I’ve been in a coma for five years, but I still remember them. I care about them, Baby Tooth. I just want to check on them. Please?” Jack asked and gave his best smile. The poor mini fairy near swooned herself to the ground if Jack hadn’t caught her in his palm. After a few moments to recover, Baby Tooth nodded and slipped through Sophie’s window and buzzed over her ear.

 

Fully dutiful, Baby Tooth dove under Sophie’s pillow first for the tooth and quarter exchange. She then chirped in Sophie’s ear and tugged at her cute blonde hair. Slowly, but finally, Sophie’s eyes opened and she yawned herself awake. Her green eyes lit up at the sight of Baby Tooth and quickly reached up to snuggle her. Baby Tooth mimed Sophie to follow her and to open the window. Sophie, in all her 8-year-old trusting self, did just that.

 

Jack slipped to the side of her and stood next to Baby Tooth. Sophie was confused and reached into her bedside table. She pulled out a tiny pencil and tiny notebook and set them on her bed. “Teethie, what’s going on?” Sophie opened her hand and motioned for Baby Tooth to write if she wanted to.

 

Baby Tooth mimed that she had a visitor with her and made a few loops around Jack’s head. “Oh, cool, another spirit. What’s this one like?” Sophie was bouncing on her bed; Jack smiled wistfully at the innocent child. That was one of the things he loved about kids; full of energy and willingness to learn and understand. Calling up some of his power, his full-of-fun snowflake started to form in the air and spin. Sophie looked right at it and gasped a ‘pretty’ before coming over to touch it. The snowflake bloomed and covered her in the fun feelings, bringing giggles to the tiny girl. “I remember that snowflake. It was at Bunny’s house the first time!” Baby Tooth chirped in joy and nodded before buzzing over to her designated notepad.

 

Sophie was holding her hands up like she was patting to feel out where Jack was. Jack grinned and knelt down to her level more and blew a chilled, nipping air right on her nose. Sophie squealed and rubbed her nose hard at the chilled air and gave a cute sniffle. “Ah, it’s cold.” Baby Tooth huffed and came soaring back and shook her finger in Jack’s face. Jack grinned at the tiny scolding and moved back some to left Sophie warm up.

 

“So, it’s a winter spirit? Is it like Santa?” Sophie asked as she followed Baby Tooth back to her notepad. Jack followed and leaned over to watch Baby Tooth write. First, she gave a rough stick person sketch of Jack and his staff before writing his name above it. “Jack Frost?” Sophie questioned, before her head whipped back to look at Jack…

 

At Jack!!

 

Sophie epped and pulled her sheet up over herself, sending Baby Tooth and her little notepad into the air and into Jack’s hands.

 

“Hey, Sophie. Sorry to surprise you, sweetheart. But I am really glad I get a chance to talk to you.” Jack’s eyes watered and he fell on his butt and snuggled the mini fairy to his chest, even kissing the tiny top of her head. She squeaked and swooned completely this time.

 

Sophie peeked out from her sheet and looked at Jack again, and then gasped at the tiny fainted fairy. “Is Teethie ok?” Sophie threw off the sheet and sat on the edge of her bed.

 

“Yeah, she’s ok, Soph. Here, let her rest on your pillow for now,” Jack handed the mini fairy to Sophie, who plopped her on the pillow. “Hi, I’m Jack Frost, and I am really happy to meet you, Sophie. You remember my snowflakes?” Jack made another one and spun it through the air. It sailed up to her nightlight and sent gentle rainbow light dancing through the room. Sophie squealed with joy and kicked her tiny feet over her edge.

 

“I remember them, but I don’t remember you. How come?” Sophie put the notepad and pencil next to Baby Tooth and hopped off the bed to sit cross legged with Jack.

 

“I am not a well-known spirit. I am actually pretty young. But I know you and your brother. Pretty well actually. Remember five years ago, when your brother went flying on his sled and a couch knocked out his tooth? That was my fault. I wanted to play with Jamie and his friends and I got carried away. Don’t worry, Tooth scolded me for getting his tooth knocked out.” Jack rubbed his head and grinned at Sophie as she rolled her eyes and snickered.

 

“I remember. That’s when Santa, and Bunny, and Tooth and Teethie and Sandy visited him at night. That was when the Nightmare Ponies were around.” Sophie shivered and rubbed her arm.

 

“Yeah, I was trying to help stop the others fight those Nightmare Ponies. I got in trouble though. The Ponies’ master tricked me and hurt me and I went into a coma. I wanted to fight the Ponies more, but I couldn’t help. I hear you and your brother beat the Ponies.”

 

“Yeah, all we have to do was touch them and they turned back into dreams. We even got Sandy back after the black sand ate him.” Sophie was all smiles and Jack saw that it was one of her bottom molars that was missing.

 

“I am really glad you and your brother won. I have been watching your whole family for ages. Even when your grandma and grandpa were your age.” Jack spun some frost around his hand and made two cute figures that turned into a whole family line. Sophie oo-ed and clapped her hands.

 

“Can Jamie see you?” asked Sophie with complete innocence, though she looked confused when Jack flinched.

 

“No, but I hope someday he does see me. I am going to keep watching and protecting your family for all my afterlife. You two are really important to me.” Jack closed his hand and new frost figures came up. Sophie growing up, having her own family, and Jack standing amongst her extended family. Sophie smiled wistfully and suddenly latched herself onto Jack and squeezed him. Jack’s tried to control himself and not hug her too hard, but he was so glad she didn’t go through him.

 

Squealing, crying chirps buzzed around their heads and the two looked up to see a happy crying Baby Tooth who flew down to hug Jack’s nose. Jack and Sophie grinned and laughed and hugged the tiny fairy too.

 

“Teethie, do you think we can get Jamie to see Jack? Bunny said that as Jamie gets older, it will be harder to see spirits. Can we try though?” Sophie hopped up and pulled off the mini fairy’s note and pulled Jack’s hand to try to get him to stand up. Jack followed along with the girl and Baby Tooth was buzzing with confirmation. Sophie opened the door quietly and motioned for Baby Tooth to go first. Sophie crept slowly down the hallway, holding a finger to her lips up at Jack. Jack didn’t have the heart to tell her that no one besides Sophie and Baby Tooth could hear him.

 

Sophie gave the tiniest knock on Jamie’s door and the door open instantly and Jamie ushered Sophie inside. Jamie’s room was now decorated in action movies posters, tons of video games and way too many dirty clothes. Baby Tooth was perched on Jamie’s desk lamp that was turned on for some ‘too late at night’ comic book reading.

 

“Geez, Soph, Baby Tooth. What are you two doing up so late? And Sophie, you know the Tooth Fairies have too much work to stay this long at one house.” Jamie scolded and gave his hand for Baby Tooth to perch on. Baby Tooth shook her head and mimed again that she had a visitor and did loops around Jack again. This time, they had Sophie on their side and she gave Jamie the note.

 

“His name is Jack Frost. He’s really nice. Can you see him, Jamie?” Sophie asked and moved over to take Jack’s hand again. Baby Tooth landed on Jack’s shoulder. Jack had to snicker at how weird it must be for Jamie to see his sister holding on to an invisible man and Baby Tooth sitting in midair.

 

Jamie looked at the picture, and up. His eyes squinted, and looked down again. He did this several times, before sighing in frustration and sitting hard on his bed. “Bunny did warn me that it’d be harder to see other spirits as I got older. Man, I believe in spirits fine.” Jamie was definitely in that snarling teenage stage. Jack snorted and bit his finger. He had always found teenagers funny; that weird mix of kid and adult.

 

Sophie giggled too and nudged Jack with her shoulder. “Be nice, Jack. You said that Jamie couldn’t see you. It might take a little time, so be nice. Bro, he’s the spirit that sent you sledding into town and you lost your tooth. Right before the Nightmare Ponies came, remember?”

 

Jamie’s eyes narrowed and looked over where Jack was, but still didn’t see him. “And you call that nice? That couch hurt, Sophie. So, what, is he the spirit of near death experiences?” Jamie snapped and tossed Baby Tooth’s note at Sophie, hanging his head in his hands.

 

“NO, he’s like a winter spirit. I bet he works with Santa. Do you, Jack? Do you make toys?” Sophie was bouncing while holding Jack’s hand, making Jack grin.

 

“Winter spirit? Bunny said winter-“   Jamie looked up and jerked back, flailing himself off his bed on the other side.

 

“Yeah, Jamie can see you, Jack!” Sophie began to dance and Jack twirled her around. Jack’s heart bloomed and felt like it was going to burst from his chest. They could both see him. He could make new, real memories with the Bennet’s now and-

 

“SOPHIE, GET AWAY FROM HIM!” Jamie charged to the two of them, slammed his palm into Jack’s chest and shoving him away while pulling Sophie behind his back. “Bunny warned me about you! White hair, blue eyes and a blue hoodie. I know who you really are. You’re the Boogeyman’s friend!” Jaime snapped and put himself directly between Jack and Sophie. He reached next to his bed and pulled a bat up.

 

“Whoa, Jamie, wait! Easy!” Jack immediately took a few steps back to give Jamie some room. “I made a mistake five years ago, and I _did_ get caught up in the Boogeyman’s tricks. But I am not his… I didn’t help him.”

 

“Yeah, that’s what Bunny said you’d say. Get out of our house, you... freak!” Jamie growled before taking a swing at Jack, who ducked out of the way and grabbed Baby Tooth to protect her. After the swing, Jamie reached for a wooden, detailed egg from his top shelf. He squeezed it, and then smashed it to his floor. A magic, similar to North’s snow globes exploded from the egg and dissolved.

 

Wait… Magic like North’s teleportation… in an egg…

 

Jack bolted, shoving Baby Tooth into his hoodie, and ran for Sophie’s room. Sailing out the window and heading straight up to the dense snow clouds-

 

A heavy weight slammed into him from the roof of the house and sent him falling hard to the ground. Jack curled around his middle to try to protect Baby Tooth. Bunny landed close by and stalked over to the panicking Jack.

 

“I warned you, mate. I did warn you.” Bunny snarled and snapped his boomerangs to his paws.

 

“WAIT, I HAVE BABY TOOTH!! DON’T HURT HER!!” Jack covered his stomach tight, feeling the tiny fairy moving to get out. Bunny pauses, still ready to attack, but he was giving the mini tooth fairy a chance to get loose. Jack looked up and then loosened his arms to let the little girl free.

 

The mini fairy flew straight at Bunny and was obviously pissed. She flailed her little legs straight into Bunny’s nose and pulled on his whiskers.  Bunny pulled her off by her wings and held her to his eyes. “Now what has got your knickers in a twist, Baby Tooth?” Baby Tooth fluffed her feathers up and started ‘talking’ to Bunny.

 

Jack slowly sat up and then stood up as Bunny continued listening to Baby Tooth. His movement got Bunny’s attention and the boomerangs came up again. Baby Tooth shrieked and pulled on Bunny’s whiskers to get his attention again. Jack’s instincts were to run, but he also thought bunny might hurt Baby Tooth to get to him. He waited.

 

Finally, Baby Tooth stopped talking and hovered off Bunny’s muzzle. “So, this gronk thinks we can go and be friends and he’s got you in on it, Baby Tooth?” Bunny’s voice dripped in sarcasm. His eyes turned to glare at Jack and he looked to be coiling himself up to spring.

 

“Look, I made a mistake! I get that you hate me, but _I am not helping Pitch, damnit_!! I have been around for 300 years and I have _never_ helped him and I’m still not going to help him! The Spirit world isn’t just The Guardians and Pitch Black! If I’m not… If I can’t be a Guardian, let me at least go back to being neutral.”

 

“’If you’re not… Crickey, you still think you are suppose to be a Guardian? Ha, mate, you lost your chance ages ago.” Bunny snarled.

 

“The Man in the Moon is the one who picked The Guardians, not some full-of-himself kangaroo with a short fuse.” Jack snapped and moved his staff to an attack position. He tried reasoning with Bunny last time, and it didn’t work out. This time, he might have to fight.

 

Bunny eyes widen and narrowed and he took a step forward, but Baby Tooth squealed and flew to stand on Jack’s shoulder. She might be small, but she was part of a Guardian. She made her own decision on who was worth protecting.

 

“How about we ask the Man in the Moon, huh? He’s the one who wanted me to begin with. Let’s ask him if I can still be a Guardian. Hell, let’s ask him if I’m friends with Pitch, if you are so damn sure.” Jack snarled.

 

Bunny looked from Jack’s face to Baby Tooth and slowly lowered his boomerangs back to their holders. “That… seems fine. We’ll have to travel to North’s workshop, though. It’s easiest to hear from Manny there. Baby Tooth can stay with you if you need some protection from the Big, Bad Easter Bunny,” Bunny sneered at him and Jack fumed.

 

“I wouldn’t need protection if said Easter Bunny was actually a nice guy and wasn’t so damn prone to violence.” snapped Jack as Bunny tapped a tunnel into the street. Jack rubbed his thumb over the head of Baby Tooth and kept his staff out, making a visional barrier between himself and Bunny. Bunny continued sneering as Jack met him at the edge of the hole. “Who’s going down first? I go first, you beat me to a pulp again. You go first, you’ll think I’ll do the same. Not that I-“

 

Bunny slammed his joined fists into the back of Jack’s head, rendering the frostling unconscious and sent him falling into the tunnel. Baby Tooth screamed and flew after Jack’s unconscious form. Bunny simply smirked before jumping down and closing the tunnel.

 

 

 

“I am saying, Frost is sick. He thought he was Guardian. He came to front door, saying he escaped from Pitch. He thinks he is Guardian of Fun,” a deep Russian accent sounded through the fog of Jack’s mind.

 

“I don’t care if the mate has brain cancer; he’s a threat. He was visiting James and Soph tonight; they _saw_ him. You know how hard it is for a teen to see a new spirit. If James can see Jack, he might be able to see Pitch. The last thing we need is a believer that strong to see Pitch.” Bunny’s angry voice cut even deeper into the fog. Jack tried to feel out his surroundings without moving. The floor was hard, but vibrated from movement. The scent of cinnamon and spices hung in the air, but not so dense that it was unpleasant. Noise was happening underneath Jack, maybe down a couple of floors. Was he at the workshop?

 

A light sound of bells, very faint, sounded. Sandy was here?

 

A brush of feathers touched Jack’s cheek, and Jack opened his eye just enough to peek at tiny Baby Tooth. She smiled when she saw Jack awake, but she moved to push herself tight to his face and was shifting her eyes to behind Jack’s back. Slowly and quietly, Jack moved his hand out searching for his staff.

 

“I am only saying, Jack believes he is Guardian. He said he has memories of being our friends.”

 

“The kid’s demented. Ok, fine. Does that mean he’s not a threat? Hell no. If anything, it makes him a bigger one. And another thing: You said you locked him up, Nick. _How_ did he get out? You said the cell was resistant to cold. He didn’t freeze his way out. There was no destruction and Phil _said_ Jack was screaming about the fuc… Pitch, being down there before he got out. Pitch got him out of the cell; why would he do that if he wasn’t the gronk’s ally?

 

A ringing of the soft bells again as Sandy was adding his two cents. Jack’s pinky final caught a bit of his staff and slowly inched it closer. His other hand moved just as slowly to cup Baby Tooth to his neck. She was shivering, but held tight to his hood.

 

“I think we need other opinion on matter. Is as Jack said, this was Man in Moon’s decision. We should ask him again. If he says Jack is safe, we let him go to be old Jack Frost. If Man in Moon says Jack is dangerous, we move him to different cell. One with full light to stop Pitch.”

 

And that was Jack’s cue. A blast of blue ice lightning filled the room as a sheet of ice spread on the floor to stop them from running after him. Jack slammed his staff to the floor and a stream of lightning blasted him straight up with a ton of force. They were in North’s observatory, meaning an open window right over the globe and it was right in line with Jack. Shouts and swears sounded under him, but he couldn’t pay any attention. Sandy could fly, and Jack didn’t want to risk a race with him.

 

Baby Tooth clung tight to Jack’s neck as they flew through the moonless sky, but now that they were out of the Workshop, Jack had no idea where to go. His _home_ was Burgess, but now The Guardians were determined to cut it off from him. Jamie and Sophie… he wouldn’t be able to see them. The Antarctic? He would have to let Baby Tooth off somewhere before he got there, but it looked like the best option for now. The wind pushed him hard as he traveled South.

 

Jack was just passing Texas when a snow globe portal opened about 1500 feet to his left. Jack whimpered and dove down hard. The trees might be thick enough to keep him from being seen, but if Bunny was with them…

 

Jack landed on a thick limb and pulled Baby Tooth from his hoodie. “Baby Tooth, you should run. If… if they are going to put me back in a cell, you should get out of here.” Baby Tooth, even shivering, was obviously put out about the idea of abandoning Jack and shook her finger at him again. Jack’s eyes watered and gently cuddled her to his cheek. “Thank you for believing in me, Baby Tooth.” The mini fairy chirped in agreement and nuzzled her tiny head to his nose.

 

Jack leapt quietly from branch to branch, always heading South. He paused when the sleigh bells got close or when golden light passed nearby. No signs of Bunny, but Jack knew, out of all of them, Bunny was the one who really wanted his blood.

 

Jack made it to a small clearing that surrounded a lake. It was risky; It was the fastest route, but the most exposed. He checked his sides. The right was heavy with growth, but Sandy was already gliding along that line, sand googles on while flying a manta ray. A small part of Jack sighed wistfully at the happy sand creature. The rest of him shoved that piece down deep and looked at his options again. He could also wait; neither of The Guardians could be away from their duties for too-

 

A boomerang slammed into the side of his head, cracking Jack’s cheek bone and dropping him straight out of the tree. Fresh blueish-blood was seeping over Jack’s eyes.

 

“About ruddy time we got you,” growled Bunny as he claimed his boomerang from beside Jack’s head and wiped the blood on the grass.

 

“NO!!” Jack called on his power and slammed Bunny with a shard of ice, right in his guts. Bunny went flying, but Jack was too damn woozy to follow him. He needed to get up. Needed…

 

Sandy landed in front of him and sand whips came to his hands.

 

“Damnit, I don’t want to fight any of you!” shouted Jack as called up ice barriers on all sides and blue lightning covered the top of his ice barrier. “I am not. Your. Enemy!!” Jack tried to watch behind him and Sandy at the same time. The sand whips cracked against his shields, leaving minor cracks where they hit.

 

“Yeah, right you’re not” Bunny snarled and stalked forward, throwing his boomerangs and slamming full weight kicks on the ice.

 

“Enough, you two. Hold!” came the booming voice of Nicolaus St. North as he landed his sleigh with a thud and dismounted quickly. A sword was drawn, but he held his hand to stay the other two. He approached Jack’s barrier like Jack was a frightened animal. “Easy, Jack Frost.”

 

“Easy yourself, Nor… St. North. I have been telling _all_ of you that I did not, am not, and _will_ not help Pitch Black! I should not be driven out of _my_ hometown of Burgess. Bunny should not have told Jamie I was the enemy, and he sure as hell shouldn’t have beaten me to a pulp. You guys are supposed to be the good guys. If I can’t be a Guardian, fine, but I am a free spirit. I will _not_ be put into a damn cell just because _you_ think I should! Fuck, you don’t even try locking Pitch up!” Jack’s grip caused his left knuckles to ache, but he whirled around and watched Bunny, who was pacing the ice walls.

 

“Jack, simple matter is that you are sick. You could hurt others. We just want to protect— “

 

“Fuck you!! You have no right to try to lock me away! I haven’t done anything but help and entertain kids. Just because I don’t have my own holidays doesn’t make me any less impor— “

 

“Sod off!” Bunny full attack cracked his back wall. Baby Tooth screamed and charged Bunny through the crack in the ice. As she got to Bunny’s face, he backhanded the mini fairy and knocked her to the ground.

 

Oh, hell the fuck no…

 

Jack screamed in fury and slammed a huge wave of blue lightning into Bunny’s chest, sending him flying again as Jack skidded on the ground and cupped the unconscious fairy to himself and sent up a new ice wall behind him.

 

“She’s one of you!! She’s a part of Tooth!” Jack snapped and slammed a second bolt of lightning in Bunny’s direction. “Have you no god damn shame?”

 

“I was about to ask the same thing,” came a cultured voice from the trees. All eyes turned to Pitch as he materialized with his four Nightmares. Pitch looked to be in his full prime once again, sliding along the ground like a shadow himself. “Truly, attacking an innocent, _injured_ winter elemental just because he _might_ be my ally. What next, you plan to attack the Groundhog for being a different holiday? And to wound your own ally’s charge, truly detestable.” Pitch stepped forward and placed himself between Jack and Sandy and North, though Jack and Bunny were glaring daggers at each other. The Nightmares stood behind Pitch, but Charcoal was watching Jack, and turned more his way.

 

“Pitch Black. Your appearance does not help Jack’s claim to not be allied with you.” North growled and drew his other sword from its sheath and stepped steadily closer. Sandy nodded and flexed his hands around his whips. Bunny rubbed some of the ice from his fur and prepared himself.

 

“I have been tending to Jack for the last five years out of duty. I drove him to his coma, I would not allow him to sit alone in the Antarctic for years. Not that any of you would have any problem in doing so. I and Jack have more history than he ever had with any of you. I respect him as an acquaintance and an enemy. It is my regret I did not ask him to an alliance centuries ago. However, he has made it clear that he will _not_ be an ally of fear. I accept this, but I open my home to him for him to recover from the rabbit’s unwarranted beating. Does that establish our relationship enough for you _Guardians_?” Pitch snarled as he summoned a shadow scythe, easily 10 long and duel edged. “Last I heard, I was the enemy of the Guardians, not a malnourished frost spirit and a mini fairy who has an innocent crush on him. I must say, I feel like I should be offended.”

 

North groomed his beard from behind his swords and thought for a long time, before turning his eyes to Sandy. Sandy’s sand signaled quickly and North nodded. “What have you been up to, Pitch? We have not heard of new Nightmares or of scared children.”

 

“Likely because there aren’t any to hear about. I have been the protector of a charge, and I have been busy researching ways to bring him out of his coma. I am still not sure what awoke him, but I am glad he is. I have no time for other things. Once Jack leaves my lair and sets out on his own, perhaps I will attempt some plans.”

 

“I won’t let you get that far Pitch,” Jack snarled, not taking his eyes off Bunny.

 

An actual amused, belting laugh fell from Pitch’s lips, only to have the shade cover his mouth to lessen the outburst. The shade’s grin curled to frightening size, but the amusement stayed in Pitch’s voice. “Oh, do tell, Jack. I look forward to that.”

 

“ENOUGH!” shouted Bunny, even as North shouted NO!! and Sandy’s sand waved a stop sign above his head. Jack moved to tuck Baby Tooth close to his neck and ready his staff.

 

“MOVE, JACK!” sounded a shout from Pitch, just as Charcoal pushed Jack to the side. Baby Tooth fell from his hand just as Pitch’s scythe came down just shy of Bunny’s body. “Get Jackson out of here, ladies!”

 

It happened in a fluid movement. Charcoal dissolved and reformed under Jack, taking him as her rider. Two of the others took points on the left and right and the three took to the forest.

 

Charcoal was fast, but it wasn’t like Jack had much riding experience and he clung to the beast’s neck as she ran. The other two fell back some, to run interferes. The one on the right neighed in fear as a golden mantra ray charged her, but she held her ground and stopped the ray from catching up with Jack. As they moved further and further away, Jack worried that the Nightmare might not last the battle.

 

Charcoal and the left Nightmare settled in a dark area of the forest. Charcoal was kind enough to kneel down to let Jack off, rather than dissolve and have Jack fall on his face. The two mares paced and looked to the forest and sky; besides the manta ray, it didn’t seem like Sandy or North were getting involved.

 

Charcoal snorted, stomped at the ground and lowered her head, staring to Jack’s right. Jack’s staff came up just as Bunny stomped into the clearing. He was bloodied, but obviously still itching for a fight. “Hello, Pitch’s little bitch. Tooth is going to be disappointed to hear you would rather take it up the arse.”

 

Jack raged and slammed an ice wall toward Bunny’s chest, but it turned out not to be needed. A shadow slashed a deep wound along Bunny’s chest, sending blood flying. A surprisingly still well-kept Pitch whirled the scythe once more, bring it down deep into Bunny’s shoulder. The rabbit dropped to his fours and swore generously. “That was for Jack’s knee.” Pitch wretched the blade out just as a Nightmare rematerialized under him. The two came galloping for Jack, and Pitch swept Jack into his arms as he summoned shadows to cover them. Even on horseback, the sense of falling set Jack’s nerves on edge.

 

The clomping of hooves to stone told Jack they were back in Pitch’s lair. Pitch, however, didn’t stay seated and instead leapt off, racing to the nearby wall. He leaned his forehead and hands on the wall and began muttering something. A rumble echoed through the whole lair, and the Nightmares reared in fright and grouped together. Charcoal nuzzled Jack's leg, before wrapping her neck against the neck of the one Jack sat on.

 

Soon the rumbles softened and Pitch breathed a sigh of relief, before slumping to the ground. Jack dismounted as best he could and ran over to check on the King. He was breathing, but was somehow able to become pale, of all colors.

 

“Pitch, what happened?! What did you do?” questioned Jack as he frosted his hand and laid it on Pitch temple.

 

Pitch sighed again and leaned into Jack’s palm. (damn fucking flutter feeling, AGAIN!) Pitch opened his eyes and flared his hand to be his dramatic self. “Oh, I simply moved us and the lair, dear Jack. Nothing to worry about.”

 

“Wait… you just moved your whole freaking house?! Why?” questioned Jack as he tried moving Pitch into a sitting/leaning-on-Jack position.

 

“Simply because I do not trust the rabbit’s mind set. To say such things to you,” Pitch had a look of anger and disgust. “North and Sandy were obviously following the rules of engagement, but the rabbit… I believe he truly wishes to kill you Jack. Please,” Pitch reach to cover Jack’s hand with his own. (FUCKING FLUTTERS!!) “Do not leave the lair before Easter. I fear for your safety if we do not allow the rabbit to put his energies into something else.”

 

Jack looked away from Pitch, but nodded. Bunny had snapped; that much was obvious. Jack turned his face to Pitch’s and nodded again. “Yeah, I think it’s a bad idea. So, where did you move us to? Some deep, dark valley?”

 

“No, the rabbit will be checking such places… I moved us to the equator. We will both be perfectly miserable here. Too hot for you, and too much light for me.” Pitch’s lips pulled up in a rueful smirk.

 

“Yeah, they are definitely not going to look for us here.” Jack felt a shiver of disgust run through him. He knew if he went outside, even at night, he’d suffer from the heat. “Now what?” Jack asked, already miserable about being kept in Pitch’s lair, even if Pitch was being the only decent one in this mess.

 

“I say a bath would be most welcome, and we need to see to your cheek. Just let me rest a few more moments and I’ll walk us to the baths.” Pitch shut his eyes and rubbed his fingers over Jack’s hand to push the frost against his skin.

 

Jack rolled his eyes and check back at the mares, and realized that there were only three. “Pitch… I think you lost a Nightmare.”

 

“Yes, my dear Ebony. She was a dedicated one. She followed my order to protect you to the letter. Sanderson turned her into an idiotic, fat little pony. That leaves us with Onyx, Twilight and your dear Charcoal.”

 

“She’s not _my_ Charcoal,” and of course, said mare comes right over and nibbles at his hood. Jack moved his other hand into hoodie and sighed in disappointment of not having Baby Tooth. He hoped she was ok. “I can’t believe Bunny hit Baby Tooth.” Jack mentioned mourishly.

 

"He has entered a beastial state of mind, I believe. Once Tooth catches wind of her charge being injured by a fellow Guardian... well, it is a feat I wish I could bare witness to." Pitch's grin was venomous, dripping with longed for violence.

 

"You really are an ass," Jack tapped his hand to Pitch's face and removed it.

 

"I fail to understand your commitment to believing The Guardians are something to strive for. You have been held prisoner, ignored, beaten, belittled and separated from your very town. Why do you still hope to reach out to them?" Pitch mused as he pulled himself up; damn, he was creepy. All his graceful movements and mannerisms were back.

 

"I just... all the memories... they were so good to me... I..." Jack stammered and moved away from Pitch, swing his staff in agitation and rubbing some frost on his broken cheek.

 

"Ah, looks like we are on the edge of talking about the false memories. Good, I was starting to wonder if I needed to call you DeNile." Pitch's amused smirked and look down from the corner of his eye caused a snort to catch in Jack's nose.

 

"Oh god, did you just... _YOU_? You! Are you seriously trying to tell a joke?" giggles and another snort made Jack wince, but it was too good to not laugh at.

 

"I believe I am allowed a few, at my age. Come, I think we both need a bath. I am covered in that creature's blood and I wish him nowhere on my person." Pitch moved a hand to Jack's lower back, not touching though, and his other hand gestured the way.

 

**

 

Pitch's bathroom was gorgeous, to say the least. The size of an Olympic swimming pool and its surrounding gym, its walls were lined with ancient Greek art on one side, Italy's Renaissance on another and trimmed with gold all around. The other two walls with dense, black obsidian and the entire thing was lite by 3-stem candelabras, placed along at different points. It was strangely bright for someone like Pitch 'Black', but it was beautiful. There were at least five different pools one could step into, but the one Pitch lead them to was one that cascaded into another. Pitch shed his shadow clothes uncereimosly, though he called a small shadow to cover his modesty for Jack's sake. With a quick flick of his wrist, a shadow towel was offered to Jack to hide _his_ modesty as other shadows formed and moved to the lower bath. The shadows brought forth the stockpile of snow and ice from a few days ago, and sent the pile into the bath, where it steamed as the temperatures tried to equalize.

 

Jack did his best not to flush at the idea of joint bathing and began slipping his clothes off.  Wrapping the shadow around himself before pulling off his pants, Jack felt to make sure everything was covered before walking over to his bath. Pitch was lounging in what was obviously very hot water, a dark gray washcloth over his eyes. A large bar of soap and another gray washcloth was set aside for Jack and he grabbed them. His own bath was warm to him, and he sighed happily as he stretched out his legs. Pitch made a small sound of agreement, but was otherwise off in his own world. Jack relaxed for a bit, but he still felt the caked-on blood along his cheek. That was not going to be an easy fix; Pitch was right, better dislocated than broken. Jack quickly busied himself with a through, but gentle wash. It was only when he pulled his legs up to get his toes that he noticed Pitch leaning over the wall that separated their baths. Jack quickly covered himself, even if there was nothing shown.

 

"I do wonder why you are so shy over nudity. The two of us are seen by so few that we could cross the world naked and no one would see." Pitch grinned ruefully and leaned his chin on his crossed arms.

 

"It's the fact that so few people can see us. It's a surprise when someone can. How many people want to be seen naked anyway?" Snapped Jack and hugged his knees.

 

"Well, besides the times when it is necessary, I would say rarely and by very few. Still, there is nothing to be embarrassed about, Jack. You look just fine for a half-starved frostling." Pitch's smuggness was radiating again and Jack splashed him, hard.

 

"Fine, then you don't look bad for... actually you don't look nearly as skinny as did a few days ago. What gives?" Jack questioned as he ran the soap through his hair.

 

Pitch stared a little too hard for a little too long, making Jack pull into himself, before answering. "To put it bluntly, Jack, I have been getting a lot of fear from you. Again, that was how I found you. The damn rabbit..." Pitch chewed the corner of his lower lip in a frustrated fashion. "Speaking of the rabbit, finish up. I want a look at you," and oh, boy did Jack get an eyeful as Pitch stood up. Jack quickly covered his eyes, though he wished he could cover his ears at Pitch's laugh. "I am far from modest, Jack. I would almost welcome you to look to your heart's content."

 

"UGGG, who says I would want to look, Boogey?" Snarled Jack as he ducked his head under the water and shook it. With his short hair, it never took long to take care of. Adjusting his shadow towel while in the water, Jack moved to sit along the edge of the pool. His cold crept along his skin and froze the remaining water droplets. A quick brush through his hair and his hands running over his arms and the frostling was clean and dry.

 

Jack looked up at the sound of bare feet, and took notice that Pitch had at least put a shadow towel around himself. He was carry one of the small first aid kits they had taken a few nights ago. Folding his long legs was like watching a baby deer do the same, and Jack snorted again, and winced again. It really sucked when it hurt to laugh.

 

"I do not wish to know, just give me your face," Pitch snipped and take Jack's chin in his long fingers and turned it. Jack did his best to ignore the damn flutters that flowed like waves through him as Pitch dapped ointment on the slash and put a dressing over it. "At least you are healing well, whatever your center is." Pitch put away the kit and stood up, reaching for Jack to help him do the same. "Are you ready to talk, Jack?"

 

Jack chewed his lip for a moment before giving a small nod. Pitch made a small sound of agreement and just like that, he was clothed again. He followed Jack to his clothes, but turned his head like a polite host. Once dressed, Pitch placed his hand on Jack's back again and walked the two of them back to the main room.

 

Jack half noted the new stairs and other changes that happened. It looked like he had a proper room now with half walls separating his futon and furniture from the rest of the room. He saw that he had new bedding; Pitch had gotten him some royal blue sheets with white pillowcases. Jack felt a tad touched at the gestures. A second metal chair, this one with decorative snowflake patterned pillows, was sitting next to the one Pitch sat in. Jack felt his throat tighten a little bit, but walked over to his chair.

 

Pitch took his seat and made no mention as Jack hugged his staff and the pillow to his chest and pulled his legs up. He did, however, call the shadows to deliver a nice bottle of wine and two glasses. He filled both and left Jack's on the small table that sat between them. He leaned back and sipped his. He waited.

 

"The worst part is... I want my memories to be real. I helped beat you. Jamie was my first believer and he has... had been my strongest believer for the five years. I was getting more; last count I had like 250... I had a room at North's. I raced Tooth whenever we met up in the same town. Sandy would play 20 questions with me; you can imagine how that worked out. Even Bunny... we weren't great, but he sure as hell didn't beat me on sight. I… I had…”

 

“A family. You had what you had always wanted. Good friends to depend on, many times they acted as a family. Did you start to see North as a father figure? Perhaps Bunny as that annoying big brother you fought against, but knew he always had your back. Likely best of all was that you had human believers. Were Jaime and his sister believers? You were a hero, Jack. You had found your past, friends, believers and your place in the world. To have all that to be false… I would not want to accept it either.” Pitch finished his wine and moved himself and the chair to sit in front of Jack. Pitch touched his knee and felt Jack shaking. Small sniffles were muffled by the pillow, but they both knew Jack’s heart was breaking. “Jack, these things are still possible. Charcoal told be you went to Jamie’s house. Were you able to have them see you?”

 

“Baby Tooth got Sophie to see me, and together we go Jamie… but then he called Bunny. Bunny told them I was your friend. I…”

 

“We could be, Jack. True friends, but as Pitch Black and Jack Frost. Not as the King of Nightmares and whatever title you might have taken as a Guardian. You knew who I was ages ago, but that did not stop us from talking. I remember some of our conversation were deeply personal. We _can_ do that because we have done it before. Should you wish to become nomadic again, I offer you somewhere to return to. I… might offer you an alliance again, but I believe we both know you are far better at causing mischief than fear. I _will_ offer you my home and my friendship.” Pitch spoke softly, rubbing Jack’s knee in circles. The sobs were getting strong, and Pitch gently moved his arms around the shaking spirit. A gasping breath was followed by Jack jumping into his arms and lap. Jack tear stained face pressed tight into Pitch’s collar bone and his hands clutched into his robe. Pitch rested his head against the soft snow-colored hair and cuddled the sobbing immortal.

 

“Why…why did I have to get false memories?! It would be so much easier if I didn’t” spoke Jack between sobs and disgusting sniffles.

 

“Your mind was trying to piece itself to wake you up. You can not fault it for trying to restore you. It is something that you will have to accept with time.” Pitch said as he sneezed Jack tight. “Knowing that they a false allows you start fighting them. Being awake allows you to make true, new ones. Perhaps after Easter, we can get the two children to accept you as you. I believe in you that you could win them over. After that, you can do all you want.”

 

Jack rubbed his eyes on his own hoodie’s sleeve, grimacing at the rub to his cheek. He continued to lean again Pitch, even if his breath tickled his scalp and mad his flutters flare up. “I want… to be friends…real friends.” Jack looked up and blushed at the look of pure joy on Pitch’s face. He blushed horribly as Pitch rested their foreheads together.

 

“I accept. Of course, that should have been a given. I did give you your own room.” Pitch teased and rubbed his forehead side to side, grinning wider as he felt Jack’s face heat up for his temperature. “I do believe you are almost human temperature now.”

 

“Oh, shut up,” Jack snarled and climbed out of the shade’s lap. He ran his hoodie over his face some more to clear up the frozen tears. He jumped a little as Pitch stood up too and fixed the corner of tape over his bandage.

 

Pitch took Jack’s shoulders and turned him so they were face to face again. Jack’s face pulled into confuse at Pitch’s Pitch looked… nervous?! “I have to tell you one more thing, Jack. If it interests you… I would like to move to ‘more than friends’ in the future.” Pitch’s thumb brushed some of the bare skin of Jack’s neck.

 

Jack stiffened and blushed all over his face and felt it heat his neck. Pitch… wanted to… No one had ever offered a ‘relationship’ to Jack. Most spirits were just too busy with their work or they already had a partner. Jack’s slow heart somehow began to thump hard in his chest and he was breathing too fast through his nose.

 

“Shhh, Jack. It’s alright. You own me nothing; if you do not want to try in the future, I understand.” Pitch moved his hand to his cheek instead and traced his fingertips along Jack’s jaw line. Fire curled along the lines traced down into his guts and Jack squirmed.

 

“I… don’t need to think about it. I’ve… thought about it… before,” Jack looked up through his lashes. Pitch startled, but a gentle smile filled his face.

 

“At least both of us have thought about it before.” Pitch gently canted jack’s chin up and leaned down to place the gentlest kiss on his lips.

 

Jack’s heart felt like it was going to come out of his ribcage and the flutters coursed through him were enough to make him dizzy. Pitch’s lips were thin and just slightly chapped, but Jack didn’t want him to stop.

 

Pitch pulled back some, but he nudged his nose to Jack’s. His silver, gold eyes flashed with a quick burst of heat and his grin turned predatory before he leaned in again and pushed their lips together harder. He gave Jack’s lips little kisses on the corners, on just his lower lip, and then he took Jack’s lower lip between his own and gave the tiniest nips.

 

Jack’s body sagged into Pitch’s waiting arms and he felt as Pitch moved them to a wall and pushed Jack against it for support. Pitch curled around a hand under Jack’s knee and pulled it around his own waist as Pitch feasted on the icy lips before him. The other hand curled around the back of Jack’s head and ran his pinky along Jack’s spine. Jack’s mind was gone and he whined softly; wanting more, but scared of what more meant.

 

Pitch stilled for a moment before gave a final placid kiss to Jack and leaning away. “Forgive me, dear Jack, I got a bit carried away. You are delicious and _so_ soft,” Pitch’s whole face was that of a hunter spying his prey and Pitch pulled his hand from behind Jack to trail the long digits along the sides of his neck. Jack’s breath hitched and a hard shiver coursed through his frame. “Oh, I hope to pleasure you for hours someday. I will worship every,” the tip of his index finger wiggled its way just under the collar of his hoodie and touched the bare skin. “single,” The hand on Jack’s knee ran itself slowly up the outside of Jack’s thigh and squeeze the meat of the limb. “inch,” Pitch nudged himself tighter into Jack’s frame, their chests resting together. “Of you, for hours or days.” Pitch grinned as he rendered Jack to a shaking, blushing, whimpering mess. “I will give you long nights to help erase those bad memories of the last centuries.”

 

“Pitch!!” Jack whined in absolute embarrassment at Pitch’s dirty talk. If he wasn’t so enraptured by the touches and silken voice, he’d try to cover his ears.

 

“Oh, my dear, sweet shy Jack. I can be far worse,” Pitch tightened his grip and moved so their groins were snug together. Jack’s gasp and wide eyed expression made the shade purr in joy. “Perhaps I will tell you how hot my hands would feel against your icy skin as I massaged you into a puddle of joy. As I take your clothes, tossing them aside, and draw my hot, wet tongue down those blue veins that hide just under your skin. I would find a spot and latch on, bring a bright love bruise to your flesh. You would remember my touch as I –“

 

“Oh god, Pitch!!” Jack hide his face in Pitch’s robe and whined in joy and scared anticipation. Pitch purred low and leaned down to take the top of Jack’s ear and gently pulled it with his teeth. Jack moaned loudly, then squirmed in embarrassment of himself and Pitch. “Please, I can’t do this right now!”

 

“I know, but just know, if we progress in our relationship, we _will_ end up making love. I will melt you.” Pitch’s voice dropped to an even silkier tone as he made the promise.

 

“Ok the frost spirit needs some sleep now. Boogeyman needs to leave.” Jack couldn’t decide if he liked it or hated it as Pitch pulled his body away and gently escorted Jack to bed. He did know that he felt cold. Pitch tucked Jack in again, but this time, he snuggled in alongside him and pulled the winter spirt into an embrace. Jack blushed, but rolled over and wrapped his arms around the Boogeyman’s waist. Pitch made a sound of appeasement and kissed the top of Jack’s head before pulled the boy tighter to his body. “Sleep well, my little Jack.”

 

Jack snuggled and let his body sink into sleep. Just on the edge of full sleep, Jack said “I wish we had done this sooner.”

 

Pitch stiffened, and tucked his face down to give Jack as hard desperate kiss and squeezed him to the point of an ache. “It will be a regret I always have, Jack.”

 

Jack nodded and let his mind go blank.

 

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

*Dancing as she sings* I'm an evil bitch. I'm an evil bitch. And I still have more twists and evil for you allllllll.


	4. The Corruption of Precious Memories.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is partly edited. My editor is in Japan, so our times are a bit off. 
> 
> We pick up right where we left off last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not all warnings are available at this time... twists are in store.
> 
> Tags are: Pitch is the sexual innuendo king; Jack is sassy; first handjob by some else for Jack; (...); (...); (...).

A moan escaped Jack as he started to wake up. It was very rare that he woke up so warm. He sighed and rolled the other way, hoping to get back to sleep. It wasn’t until he felt a hand around his middle, while both of his were under his pillow, that Jack remembered he didn’t go to bed alone. He drew in a hard breath and stiffened like a board. The owner of said hand chuckled roguishly in his ear.

 

“There is my sweet, shy Jack,” purred the voice. Pitch Black pulled Jack’s whole body tight to his own and wiggled his chin into the grove between Jack’s neck and shoulder. Jack’s entire frame flushed and he pulled the pillow out from under him and placed it over his head instead. “Now, now, come out, my little frostling. We agreed last night to be friends, didn’t we?” mused Pitch as he released Jack’s body. He pushed himself up on one elbow and used his other hand to toss Jack’s protective pillow aside. Said spirit was the loveliest shade of pale purple from his flush, and Pitch leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Of course, we also agreed to try to be… more,” Pitch prolonged the word as he let some of his body weight down to pin the frostling, running his nose behind Jack’s ear and along his hair line. Jack squirmed beautifully in his shyness. Pitch added a soft kiss to just behind his ear before letting the boy free and moved to get off of the bed.

 

Jack quickly rolled over, pushing his face first into his hands and then into the bed. He made a sound somewhere between ‘please kill me now’ embarrassed and ‘please don’t stop’ wanting. He shivered as Pitch’s hand combed through his hair and laid some of the parts flat. Jack shivered; he was so unused to touch that Pitch doing it freely was going to give him a heart attack. Perhaps sensing this, Pitch pulled away soon after, and instead pulled the sheets from around Jack. “Come on then, Jack. Let us see if my home is rebuilt enough to give you a tour of it,” Pitch said as he moved to give Jack room to get up.

 

Jack’s face still felt flaming warm as he pushed himself up and looked over his shoulder. Pitch had different shadow clothes on now. A simple T-shirt shaped shadow replaced his traditional over robe, but his pants stayed the same. He was pulled open the top drawer of Jack’s dresser and pulled out a light blue tank top, and wove some shadows in his hands to make a pair of shorts. Jack was about to question why when he realized he was hotter than he should be, even from his blushing fit. They were along the equator right now. Even deep underground, it was bound to get warmer in the lair. Jack made a face and Pitch smirked in agreement and fanned the shadow shorts out in front of Jack’s face.

 

“Indeed, it has already warmed up quite a bit. We might even have to move your room to a lower floor, though I would rather not. I much like that we are sleeping together,” Pitch purred, very obvious in his intent to enflame Jack’s face more. Jack glared around his blushing cheeks and clicked his staff to the floor, sending a hard streak of ice up Pitch’s left leg, over his hips, and straight up his whole back. The Boogeyman jerked dramatically and swore nicely as he froze, trying his best to scrape away the ice line. Jack grinned and leaned his cheek to his staff, grin widening even more as Pitch cleared the ice off and glared down at him. “Hey, you wanted to be friends with me. You should know by now what you were getting into.”

 

Pitch held his snarling face for a moment, before his eyes widened and a leer bloomed on his face. Leaning down almost nose to nose with Jack, he said, “How can I know what I am getting into if you are in your pants all the time?”

 

“Oh, come on!” cried Jack as he leapt off the bed and swung his staff straight at Pitch’s smug face. It nearly connected, but with a cackle, Pitch dissolved into the nearby shadows, sending Jack off balance and into his dresser. “Is literally everything either of us says going to lead into some sexual pun now?” Jack iced up his arms and pulled his staff into a defense stance, looking for a moving shadow.

 

“I say, we will have to wait and see. If your reactions continue like this, then yes,” called the amused voice from out in the center of the lair’s massive main room. Jack growled and iced up the open parts of his walls and doorway. It probably wouldn’t actually stop Pitch if he wanted to peek but it made Jack feel better. Jack whisked off his hoodie and folded it on the dresser and, checking behind him again, half torn off his leather pants and pulled on the shadow shorts as quick as he could. Feeling a bit better, Jack touched the ice with his hand and pulled it back into himself and strolled out. Pitch was waiting, hands behind his back, Charcoal next to him. It seemed the nightmare was impatient as it quickly moved over to Jack and blew out its hot breath into his hair. “Hey, be a good nightmare and don’t make me hot, ok?”

 

Pitch made a sound of disgust, “Of all the things I wish to teach you about intimacy, I will not entertain bestiality, Jack Frost.” Pitch did his best to keep a straight face, but his eyes gleamed as Jack instantly fumed.

 

After a bit of snarling and groaning from Jack, Pitch rested his hand on Jack’s lower back and guided him through the developing lair. Most of the stairs, as it turned out, were misleading and went in elaborate circles. The important parts of the lair were marked off with either circle columns or a pair or torches. Jack recognized the way to the bath by the columns. Pitch said he would work on finding a cool spring to change one of the pools permanently. The kitchen, found by turning one of the two torches three quarters to the right, was a vast and neatly kept area.  Counters and cupboards lined the sides of the room with a polished, dark stone table in the center. The chairs were a deep red wood with thin black cushions. A fireplace was the cooking instrument of choice and there was no refrigerator to speak of. Most of the furnishings were more 1800s, but it mattered little to spirits who only ate for the fun of it. Speaking of food, Jack was surprised just how many bright colored pieces of fruit there were. Grabbing a red apple, Jack had just opened his mouth to ask when Pitch chimed in, “Twilight and Onyx fetched them while you slept. I figure we will be here for quite awhile and I can only guess how restless you might get. I hope to have enough to entertain you for at least a few months. I dare say, my warnings about the others will become white noise, should you become bored.” Pitch took a nice mango from pile and moved to prepare it.

 

“I feel like I should be offended, but I am not going to lie. I do get restless when I’m bored.” Jack took a large bite of his apple and sighed at its juice. It had been about five years since he ate anything. “What about you, aren’t you going to get bored too?”

 

Pitch, in an act of snooty smugness, had cut up his mango into perfect cubes, put them on a plate, and was using a dainty fork on each piece. “How can I be bored? I now have to find every possible way to fluster you on a moment’s notice. I believe that will be an excellent use of my time.” Jack just stared, waiting for the cool mask to crack under the weight of the joke. Pitch stared back, lifting the next piece to his lips, but instead of biting, Pitch’s pink-gray tongue slipped out and slowly covered the entire piece. Jack was already blushing. His jaw dropped as Pitch’s tongue, darkening with shadows, grew long enough to enwrap the entire fork before it sucked the piece of fruit into the waiting mouth. Pitch didn’t even blink at his exploits. He grinned as Jack rested his upper body and head onto a counter and moaned in embarrassment. “There is one right there,” Pitch said coolly as he continued with his fruit.

 

“Don’t you think you are laying it on a little thick there, Boogeyman? I mean, we _just_ agreed to be friends, and… we admitted we’ve thought about it before. Can’t we cool it with the innuendoes?” Jack asked as he turned around and jumped to sit on the counter, moving the apple back and forth between his hands.

 

Pitch set his plate down on his own counter and moved to stand in front of Jack. He pulled himself between the boy’s legs and gently coasted his fingers along both sides of his face. Jack looked down at first, but sighed, leaned into the hand on his right and looked up at Pitch. “Jack, we are not humans, and we are not restricted to their rules of courtship. You told me you have thought about us before. I have too, and I will not deny that my thoughts turned sexual.” Jack leaned his head in and rested it on Pitch’s shirt. Pitch allowed it for a moment before pulling Jack’s head back up to have their eyes connect again. “Jack, you are a stunningly handsome spirit. I am sure many others would agree with me. Others might not accept your mischievous nature or your humor, but I am sure many others have imagined a sexual instance with you. That is not all I want, Jack. You will see that soon.” Pitch ran his thumb over Jack’s soft lips and pulled his bottom lip down just a touch. He leaned in and gave a gentle kiss just to it and pulled away. “So, if I am laying anything on thick, it is my”

 

“LALALA NOT LISTENING,” Jack shouted and covered his ears. He glared at Pitch’s smirk, but gave a small gasp as the man quickly and quietly leaned in again to kiss him. The two kissed slowly, Pitch taking the lead and cupping Jack’s head. His lips were still slightly chapped with a touch of mango juice still stuck to them. Jack’s tongue timidly slipped out to lick Pitch’s bottom lip, and he shivered hard at the breathy moan Pitch gave him in return. Pitch opened his own mouth and his tongue slithered out, coiled around Jack’s and pulled the small appendage into his hot mouth. Jack gasped and had to hold on to Pitch hard; Pitch’s whole mouth felt like it would melt Jack’s cold tongue. Pitch didn’t stop licking and swirling around Jack’s, and Jack jerked, almost jumping into Pitch’s arms as the tip of the lengthening appendage completely covered his tongue and even slipped into Jack’s lips and toward his throat. Jack tapped on the shade’s shoulder and he was released with a wet sound. Jack threw his head back, panting and shivering hard. Jack’s breathing stopped again as Pitch leaned in to place small kisses down the entire center of his throat before suckling on the soft skin covering the side of his Adam’s apple. The shade gave one last kiss to the new tender spot and pulled his head away, pulling Jack’s down to rest on his shoulder and putting his own into Jack’s hair.

 

“This… is nice, but… fast. I’ve never been in a relationship before. I don’t know what to do,” Jack said as he snuggled into Pitch’s warmth; this part he could probably enjoy all the time.

 

Pitch wrapped his arms around Jack and rubbed along his lower back. “We do what is comfortable at the time it is comfortable. I will sense when I have pushed too far too fast, but it is just as easy for you to tell me when I have.” Pitch canted Jack’s chin up again and traced his cheekbones. “Even with my teasing, you just have to tell me when you have truly had enough. Right now, I think I am toeing the line. You enjoy hearing my thoughts even if it is embarrassing. We will have plenty of time to test each other’s borders. Now, let us continue our tour, hm?” Pitch asked as he stepped back from Jack and offered his hand. Jack rolled his eyes at the gesture. He hovered over the shade in a show of power and popped himself back to the floor, cocking his leg up on his other knee. Pitch gave a small upturn of his lips and lead the way.

 

Pitch’s library was _massive_ , even if it was only half full right now. Jack had to fly up at least 30 feet to reach the cavern’s ceiling and he couldn’t see the end of the room on the other side. In the center of the cavern was a group of different chairs, couches and large plush pillow pet beds. There were six but only three were filled by the remaining nightmares. Two looked dead tired, probably Twilight and Onyx, and the third was lounging next to a plush armchair and foot rest. Charcoal perked up and nibbled on the chair like she wanted Jack to sit there, so Jack took the invitation. The nightmare immediately laid her full head on his lap and gave a hearty sigh before closing her eyes.

 

“Hi, girls,” Jack greeted all the nightmares. Twilight nickered and Onyx turned her ears, but they stayed prone on their pillows. “Are they going to be ok?” Jack asked as he pet the sandy muzzle of Charcoal.

 

“They were worn out after the fight to begin with, then I sent them out for some food. They have earned their rest,” Pitch knelt down and ran his hands over their shoulders. Twilight nickered again, but Onyx pulled her head up and grabbed the hand with her teeth and gave a semi-harsh pull. Pitch shushed her and she laid back down with an angry huff. “They need to rest for at least a few days. If we need any supplies, it will have to be Charcoal by herself.” Charcoal’s ear flicked and she simply snuggled more into Jack.

 

“Won’t you need fear?” Jack asked, taking note as Pitch stiffened and he froze as he was standing up. It was only for a moment and Pitch moved over to an old lazy-boy-like recliner. “I might not need to, I have been feeling enough fear to kept myself full for at least a few weeks, perhaps months. We will cross that bridge when we come to it.” Pitch reclined and gave a flick of his shadow-engulfed hand. The shadows broke off into tendrils and pulled books from the shelves. Each was brought before Pitch’s face and then waved to different piles. One seemed to catch his attention and the tendril delivered it to Jack’s arm chair. “I think you’ll find that one enjoyable for the day.” Pitch said as he continued to work.

 

Jack cocked his eyebrow; he enjoyed reading on occasion, but it had to be a good book to get him to sit still. He grabbed the book and turned it over. _Kama Sutra_. Jack’s whole body flushed again and he was just about to throw the book back at Pitch, but an idea bloomed. Clearing his throat, which caused Pitch to turn to him with slightly wider eyes, Jack held the book out to be taken back. “I read it already, got anything else?” Jack said with the straightest face his flushed body would allow. Both stared at each other, waiting to see who cracked first. Pitch raised a brow and Jack broke, laughing his heart out, and Pitch soon joined him. The sound of merriment echoed throughout the library for a good while.

 

 

“Ugh, Pitch,” Jack groaned and squirmed under the shade on his back. A whine almost escaped, but he wasn’t ready to sound that bothered yet.

 

“Shush, Jack, almost there,” Pitch answered, pushing more of his weight into the boy beneath him and kissing the back of his head. “I want more,” Jack moaned and pushed his back up in invitation and squirmed his hips to be enticing.

 

“Not yet, Jack. Your mind is willing, but your body is not relaxed enough.” Pitch’s hand rubbed up and down the length of the frostling’s exposed back.

 

“Just push on me alread- GAH!” Jack jumped between his whines as Pitch’s hands came together on a single spot. He put all his weight on them cracking a particular spot on Jack’s spine back into place. Jack sighed in relief and flopped completely back on to the bed. He groaned in relief as Pitch continued his massage. “Thank you,” Jack sighed out as he hugged the pillow under his face and chest.

 

“Next time wrestle with one of the ladies, not all three,” Pitch smugly replied as he worked the other sore muscles and tender spots. Reaching over to grab some heated gel, he worked along Jack’s lower back, just above the shadow shorts that Jack had taken to wearing over the last few weeks. “I understand your restlessness, but those three are my strongest mares. Without your staff, you just can’t,”

 

“Yeah yeah yeah, be nice and don’t get myself stomped on. Got it. Less lecture, more rubbing,” Jack snickered into the pillow, betting the Boogeyman had a hard scowl on right now. Though he was pulled out of his smartass-ness by a very hard bite to the back of the right side of his neck. Hissing and then groaning, his hand reached back to grab onto Pitch’s hair. He felt the shade growl into his back, before sucking it up into what would be a very sore bruise. It was Pitch’s favorite spot; Jack loved looking in the mirror to see it, and he needed to about every three days now that he and the shark were dating. After a few more moments of sucking, the flesh was released and that long, hot tongue began licking the tender spot. Long slow licks with the base of his tongue and quick flicks of the tip of his tongue, soothed the spot and brought more soft moans out of Jack. Pitch gave one soft kiss to the spot before removing his person from Jack and sliding off the bed.

 

“Hey,” Jack made a new whining sound, turning his head to watch Pitch put back on his own shadow top. Pitch’s turned back with an innocent face (how he pulled that off, Jack hadn’t learned yet) and asked, “Is there something else you need, Jack?” Jack shivered and cast his eyes down; Pitch had taken to purring Jack’s name just about every time he said it now. Pitch had been tempting Jack into different levels of intimacy over the past few weeks. Recently, Pitch had taken to leaving hickeys and even nail marks, but nearly everything was above his collarbone or over his shirt. Jack was starting to want more, but he didn’t know how to express it to the Nightmare King. Taking a breath, Jack sat up and reached out for the other man’s hand. Taking it, and flushing anew, Jack pulled Pitch over, reached up and kissed the shade. Jack pulled Pitch’s lip down and licked at his blunt wedge teeth until Pitch opened his mouth and slurped Jack’s tongue into his mouth. As they kissed, Jack pulled on Pitch’s hand again and leaned back to lay down, Pitch growled and followed him down. Jack shivered as Pitch’s warm chest, even through the shadows, connected to Jack’s own icey one. Pitch’s tongue squeezed tight around his own before pulling away and breaking their kiss. “Are you feeling like trying something new, Jack?” Pitch’s hands moved around to Jack’s back and squeezed him. Jack swore that he saw steam rising off of himself whenever Pitch touched him. Jack sighed and wrapped his own arms around Pitch neck and nipped his lip. “I want… more? Not sure how much more, but uhmmmmm,” Pitch quickly took the open invitation and took hold of the left side of Jack’s neck. Pitch wasn’t as brutal, but he did lavish the flesh there with fresh hickeys.  Jack was a sighing, moaning and squirming mess as Pitch released his throat and took to kissing the center of his collar bones. There, Pitch had slow, soft kisses as his hands rolled up and down along Jack’s back, before his fingertips skimmed under the shadow shorts to just touch his ass.

 

Jack gasped and nearly jackknifed in the bed as Pitch took two full handfuls of his cheeks and squeezed them, while his tongue lengthened with shadows and just grazed his right nipple. A flash of fear-of the new, of not being good enough for the more experience Boogeyman- went through him, but Pitch immediate leaned up to kiss him. Soft touches, even a small lick, and the shade gently shushed him with ‘it’s alright’ whispers as he kept his hands still on Jack’s ass. “I am here, Jack.” Pitch said as he gave the frostling a deeper kiss before moving back to his cool chest.

 

Jack’s hands carded up to the Boogeyman’s hair and held onto handfuls of it, trying to not pull. Pitch’s hands, well one of them, moved from Jack’s ass to support his back as Pitch kissed a small line of kissed down the center of Jack’s chest. He nipped at one of Jack’s right ribs, making the frost spirit hiss, before he licked a long, slow _hot_ stripe up from the rib to over the small, dusty nipple. Jack squirmed hard, chewing on his lip and Pitch had to stop his motions just to hold on to the spirit. “Can you not stand the heat, little frostling?” Pitch purred as he laved another long stripe of his tongue over the same line as before, this time stopping to teasingly circle Jack’s poor, sensitive nipple. Jack’s left hand shot up behind him to grab onto the headboard, feeling his frost and ice flow freely to freeze the metal frame.

 

Pitch moved both hands from Jack’s back and spread them out along Jack’s front, moving them in different directions as his tongue move from his nipple. Pitch bathe Jack in fire slowly, kissing his shoulders, licking his ribs, nipping on Jack’s stomach; basically, trying to turn Jack into a writhing pile of nerves. Of course, it was working very well, and when Pitch pulled Jack’s right nipple into his mouth and sucked, it turned into a small pearl and had wrecking shiver course all through the spirit.

 

Pitch’s hands moved down to Jack’s legs; bending them at the knee Pitch pushed himself so the two of them were hip to hip. That was when Jack felt it; he was hard. Of course, that was the whole point, but as a frozen spirit, it actually took quite a bit to get hard. Masturbation for Jack required either a warm blanket or a fire. Feel it, having it pressed tight against the thin shadow and Pitch’s body, pulled a body arching groan from the spirit. Pitch stopped, and for a moment was concerned, until he shifted his hips and got another wrecking moan from Jack. “How long as it been, then?” mused Pitch as with a snap of his fingers, Jack was naked. Jack flushed again and moved to cover himself, but Pitch shushed him again, and set his hands to hold onto the bed. “How long since you took yourself in hand, Jack?” Pitch kissed the flushing spirit, running his hands all over his torso to calm and arouse him.

 

“I think… after you scared me on Easter. After Bunny… well, I was frustrated so I built a small fire and…relaxed for a few hours.” Jack pulled one of the other pillows and covered his face with it, but Pitch, once again, wouldn’t let him hide. “I don’t, well really can’t, do it very often. It… usually takes me a lot longer to get… ready,” Jack’s voice was cut short at the end from his embarrassment, but Pitch looked absolutely delighted. “May I, Jack? If it gets too much, you just need to say so.” Pitch purred into Jack’s ear as he latched his teeth on to the shell. His long nimble fingers walked their way down from Jack’s navel to just above the soft white pubic hair that was calling to him. “I want… to try,” Jack managed to whisper, pulling Pitch’s face to his and kissing the shade desperately.

 

The first touch of Pitch’s finger to Jack’s cock sent the poor spirit into a body spasm, pulling a heart-felt cry from his throat and Pitch had to pin him down with his body. Tears were already starting to well up in Jack’s eyes and it had just been a fingertip. Jack’s embarrassment, about being too sensitive, was quickly cast aside by Pitch’s words. “Oh, my dear Jack. How I am going to love making you feel good.” Pitch gently wrapped his fingers around the cock and simply held it, kissing his earlier hickeys as Jack moaned and squirmed. Jack felt himself heating up, right into his very core. As he panted, he saw tiny clouds of steam fall from his mouth. He was actually melting, and he didn’t care.

 

Pitch was slow; by other standards he might actually have been teasing, but for Jack, it felt perfect. His fingers danced around Jack’s crown, spreading some his pre-cum onto his fingertips and tracing the ridge. After, he cupped the whole length, and began to slide his hand up and down, taking special attention to run his thumb over the crown with each stroke. Jack didn’t know what to do with his hands, but Pitch didn’t seem to mind as Jack move from grabbing his shoulder to his hair, to the bed. Jack moaned his lungs out; hell, they were actually starting to hurt, but he couldn’t stop. Pitch was so warm, his motions just right; Jack wasn’t going to last, and he whined at the idea of it ending. “Shush, my little Frost. We have all the time in the world. Let go,” Pitch whispered as he pulled one of Jack’s searching arms around his own neck. Jack bit his lip and shook his head, pulling Pitch down and tried to kiss him between moans, but then Pitch’s hand sped up, just a little. Jack’s toes even tried to grab on to the bed, something to distract himself, just enough to hold out a bit longer. Pitch scoffed and moved down Jack’s body until his head was level with the boy’s hips. Catching Jack’s eyes, the shade took the slender cock into his mouth, groaning himself as Jack arched and whined needily and a hand came down to yank on Pitch’s hair. Pitch sucked gently and it was enough; Jack keed loudly, his back arched beautifully, and his legs came up to wrap around Pitch’s whole upper body as the small spurts of cool cum erupted on Pitch’s tongue. The shade gently worked his tongue over the straining organ as it came in powerful pulses with thick spurts of juice. Jack was a complete shivering mess, but Pitch continued to gently coach the last of the cum out before swallowing it down.  He quickly climbed back up to cover the boy as he went through his orgasm shocks, pushing his longer frame into the spirit and cooing compliments into his ear.

 

Resting there in Pitch’s arms, after his first orgasm with another person -someone he felt for- Jack should have known. He should have known nothing and no one was meant to be that happy.

 

Pitch demeaner changed sharply as he bolted up from the bed and snarled. Shadows along the walls were whispering something, and Jack felt the massive tension roll over Pitch. “Jack, get dressed. I am afraid we have very unwelcome company.” Shadow fell onto their master and Pitch was now dressed in his villian’s robe. Jack scrambled off the bed and over to the dresser, pulling out his traditional leather pants and his hoodie. Hot or not, he was not showing up in his new tank top. Grabbing his staff from beside the bed, Jack moved to Pitch’s side. The king looked him over, nodded and lead the way into the rest of the main room.

 

The main room had continued to change over the weeks. Jack, and now Pitch’s, bed was now completely sectioned off by walls and a curtain for a door. The throne was now in the very center with lavish candles and stands surround it, but the floor had been changed from simple stone to a mosaic of patterned stones. The two of them stepped past the throne and faced the only way in.

 

It was a chorus of fluttering wings that announced the arrival of their company, and Jack gasped as hundreds of baby teeth fairies arrived. Behind them flew the Queen, _the_ Tooth Fairy. Toothiana was a beautiful woman in most senses; she was of a small frame but she was well proportioned for said frame. Her feathers are a mix of blues, greens and purples that covered her entire body expect for the palms of her hands and her face. Gold feathers found places around her wrists and ankles like bangles with a chest of gold feather around her chest and neck like a large necklace. Said gold feather also appeared on the areas where her ears would be to act as earrings. She had no hair, but a plume of colorful feathers with longer ones cresting towards the back of her head, almost like a crown. Her amethyst eyes were framed by smaller amethyst feather that acted as her lashes. Along her back were 4 sets of different size fairy wings that were constantly fluttering, allowing her to stay hovering. Last was a number of long mixed colored feathers that gave her the appearance of a bird’s tail. Something new adorned her waist though; she now carried a pair of curved swords and a number of sealed scrolls along a rich, dark leather belt. Oh, this was not good.

 

The queen and her charges pulled up just outside of the bridge that ran through the room, and hovered there. A single tiny fairy flew past the others, over the bridge and darted right to Jack. Baby Tooth was nervous as she looked between Jack and Pitch, but she still approached. Jack beamed, feeling a bit curious at the lack of swooning from his friends, and offered his hand to the little one. She stepped onto it and Jack brought her to his cheek to snuggle. “It’s nice to see you Baby Tooth. I was worried after… what happened.” Baby Tooth puffed up and rubbed her tiny cheek with a sad face. She looked over at Pitch again, who only gave the charge a small glaze as he kept his attention on her queen.  “To what do I own this honor, Queen Toothiana of Punjam Hy Loo?” Pitch asked, moving his arms to give a small polite bow at his waist.

 

Toothiana was quiet as she took in the two of them, watching Jack especially as he hugged her little fairy. Nodding to the others, who pulled back a little, Tooth hovered over the bridge and hovered herself just out of arm’s length from the two. “Hello Pitch, Jack.” Tooth started and raised her hand. Baby Tooth pouted, squeezed Jack’s nose once more, and flew over to the queen. She chirped briefly, Tooth nodded, and the mini fairy flew back to the rest of the flock. “I have to say, I am very surprised to find you in my back yard, Pitch,” Jack tensed at her speech; there was nothing in there that sounded like the bubbly, maternal Tooth he had… briefly known 5 years ago.

 

“I had to do what was necessary. The rabbit was very intent on destroying Jack, either by beating him or capturing him. Before you say anything, my dear, I will say this: Jack is not helping me in spreading fear. We are living together as a form of protection. I watched over Jack for five years, I was not and _am_ not about to allow you guardians to persecute him for a crime that has never happened.” Pitch snarled and angled himself between Tooth and Jack, staring her down. Tooth actually hovered herself up to his eye level and narrowed her eyes.

 

“The only information I have is from the others. I want to hear from you two,” She turned her eyes to Jack and her face lost some of its hardness. Jack could see some of the Tooth he had met back that Easter ago. Jack smiled with everything in his power, watching the queen’s eyes widen and a few of the mini fairies sighed blissfully. “Thanks for listening, Tooth. Can we get some chairs, Pitch?” asked Jack, raising his eyebrows as the shade stiffened and grumbled briefly. With a snap of his fingers, three mismatched chairs appeared, two of them together and one behind Tooth. Pitch sat in his and thumped the arm of the other. Jack actually wanted to smirk at the show of childish possessiveness. Tooth watched them quietly before taking her own seat, although she didn’t so much sit as hover in the space of the chair.

 

“Ok, where to start? Well, let’s start with the fact that as a villain, Pitch is an asshole,” Jack was completely careless with his remark, though both of the other spirits went wide-eyed. “He tricked me into coming to his lair using a voice I thought I recognized. I came down here, saw all the tooth boxes and… basically went stupid. I just wanted to see my memories so badly. Pitch played me really well. He found my teeth and had me chasing him around; messed with my head… wait a minute, why am I not still pissed at you?” Jack looked over a Pitch who just arched his eyebrow muscles again and shrugged. “Anyway, that is why I showed up late on Easter. I was not _helping_ Pitch; I was played by him. Which is just as much my fault as his, I know and accept that.” Jack pulled at his hoodie and kept his eyes off Tooth as he recalled the looks of betray on the Guardian’s faces.

 

Sniffing softly, Jack continued. “After I ran off, I flew to Antarctica. I had a big debate with myself over the teeth. I nearly threw them into the sea. Pitch found me again, offered me and alliance,” Tooth started at that information and Pitch stiffened just slightly. “But I don’t want kids scared of me. I want them to like me, I want to have kids as happy to see me as they are to see my snow. So, I told him to leave me alone. He held Baby Tooth captive and demanded my staff. I _like_ Baby Tooth,” Jack looked path Tooth to the only other glint of gold, who chirped from there. “So, I wasn’t going to let him hurt her. I gave up my staff, Pitch tried to screw me, Baby Tooth pecked him really good,” a victorious chirp sounded and Pitch scowled, “And he threw her and then snapped my staff.” Jack waved over to Pitch, who cleared his throat.

 

“After I snapped his staff, Jack fell unconscious. A part of me, the one that knew of Jack long before you four, felt a small amount of guilt for rendering the boy in a coma. I took him back here and left him with a nightmare. After my defeat,” Pitch stressed the word and Tooth was smiling, “I came back and nearly left Jack to rot in the deepest part of my lair. Charcoal the nightmare literally stomped on that idea. Meaning she stomped on my foot when I tried.” Jack snorted and snickered at the idea of the mare chasing Pitch down to stomp on him.  “Jack stayed in his coma for 5 years. He woke up about 3 months ago, and the first thing he did was try to report me to North. North then preceded to put Jack in a cell for well over a month with no company. Yes, I freed him; I could feel his fear of being alone forever from the States.” Jack rubbed his arms and pulled his knees up into the chair; he really hated being in small rooms. “After that, he broke my nose and _again_ went to seek out your Guardians. Sanderson called Bunnymond, who then beat Jack for simply the idea of him helping me, while Sanderson did nothing.” Pitch was snarling now and tendrils of shadows rolled on the floor under their master. Tooth watched, but did not seem nervous. “Jack returned to _his_ hometown, and tried to interact with two of the children who defeated me. The younger was able to see Jack and coach her brother into seeing him as well. Bunnymond, however, had also coached her brother into seeing Jack as a threat and had given the boy a beacon. The rabbit was summoned, captured Jack and was attempting to have him imprisoned again. Jack escaped, but was chased and assaulted by the other. In trying to protect and defend Jack, the rabbit struck your charge,” Pitch’s cupped hands pointed behind Tooth to the mini faries, who crowded and touched Baby Tooth, “And Jack moved to defend her and himself. I arrived and got Jack out of there. I moved us down here in the _hopes_ that you Guardians would leave us in peace as we dealt with Jack’s false memories.” Tooth’s interest was quickly peeked and she turned back to Jack.

 

“False memories? Jack, memories are my area. You should have come to see me,” Tooth’s voice carried a bit of hurt in it, and Pitch gave a small snarl. “After everything the other three did, did you actually think Jack would be willing to approach you?” Jack glared at the shade who, though it was obvious he didn’t want to, fell silent and let Jack defend himself. “Tooth, I am sorry, but after what Bunny, North and Sandy did… I wasn’t going to come to you. Especially before Easter. Bunny… he wants to _kill me_ , Tooth. All because he _thinks_ I helped out Pitch. He won’t even listen to North on the matter. I mean, come on Tooth, there are more to sprits than just Guardians and Pitch. I was around for over 300 years and none of you cared who I was friend or not friends with then.” A small amount of anger came out with the sentence, lifting a small weight Jack always held in his stomach off. “I am not going to let Pitch attack children, Tooth… besides I think he has a distraction going on.” Jack grinned over at Pitch who smirked. “And is a very lovely distraction, indeed.”

 

Tooth visibly froze as she took in their wording and body language. She next spoke in a low, seething voice, “I thought you said we weren’t helping him scare children, Jack.” The rest of the cavern went silent and Pitch stood from his chair and shielded Jack from the fairy queen.

 

“Whoa, Tooth, easy!” Jack stood up too, and nudged Pitch out of the way to speak directly to the queen. “I am _not_ helping the Nightmare King scare children. How many times do I have to repeat myself to you four? I am not _helping_. Pitch and me are… well,” Jack looked up to Pitch to put a definition on their relationship. Pitch looked back to Tooth and simply said, “Frost and I are in an intimate relationship. This relationship will keep me far from children for the foreseeable future. I can get bits of fear from everyday life. I will not be causing any while in Jack’s company.”  Jack flushed at Pitch’s boldness, but was thankful for his pledge, considering the three words that had been on the tip of Jack’s tongue for awhile.

 

Tooth stayed in her chair for a few more moments before rising up. She looked defeated for some reason and held out her hand, summoning a few of the mini fairies to her side. The six of them seemed to be talking through their minds. Baby Tooth even chirped and squeaked out loud, but Tooth held her hand up to shush her. After some deliberation, Tooth nodded and the five mini fairies retreated back to the rest of the company. “Thank you, gentlemen. I am glad to have the blanks filled in.” Tooth moved to hover over next to the other spirits as she spoke, some of her bubbliness coming back to her eyes. “Thank you for trying to protect Baby Tooth, Jack. You’re right; Bunny was out of control last time.” Jack beamed at her.

 

She reached down to adjust her waist belt, and suddenly Pitch stiffen and shoved Jack hard behind him, sending the spirit skidding along the floor. In a flash, Tooth’s thumb nail cut open one of the scrolls on her waist and ghosting of sickening green fire spilled forth from the scroll. It swarmed around Pitch and Tooth, seemingly trapping them in the ring of fire. “Tooth, STOP! YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” Jack pulled up his staff and shot a blue ice lightning at the fire, only to gasp in worry as the fire was unfazed and ice passed through the ring and through the other spirits. Were they in a separate plane?

 

“Pitch Black, Nightmare King, for crimes against the world and its people, you are to be detained. For upsetting the world’s balance of good and evil, you are to be rendered powerless. And for the kidnapping and coercion of a fellow spirit, you are sentenced to death.” Tooth spoke in a deadly tone as she named each sentence, drawing forth her twin blades at the last part.

 

“Truly, you Guardians have no form of decency,” Pitch snarled and tried to call forth his shadows. The shadows tried to aid him, but just like Jack’s ice, they could not enter the second realm. Jack charged forward, desperate to reach the two of them, but as he reached for the fire, he found himself passing through them and falling to the floor on the other side. “Tooth, stop! He’s not going to hurt anyone. Tooth, please!!” Jack begged the queen, kneeling behind her and wanting more than anything to be able to pull her away from Pitch. Pitch’s eyes movef from Toothiana to Jack, and the two stared for a long moment. “Pitch… I lo”

 

Tooth cracked the seal on the second scroll, and now a bolt of the green fire stabbed Pitch through the chest, causing the spirit to stiffen, collapse onto his knees and begin chocking on his own blood. Jack gapped in horror as the green crawled through every vein of Pitch, igniting him from the inside. Pitch was screaming in pain, but Jack couldn’t hear anything as he watched Tooth plunge her sword through the same hole the fire left, right into Pitch’s heart. Fire was bleeding from Pitch’s eyes as he stared down at the blade, its welder leaving it in him as she prepared her next blade. Pitch looked up to Jake and mouthed ‘run’ as Tooth brought the other blade down behind Pitch’s skull, rendering his head separate from his body.

 

Jack… Jack couldn’t move. Pitch’s body slumped to the side as the fire continued to cook him from the inside. The outer ring of the sick fire burned away, returning Tooth to the same plane as Jack. The shadows of the cavern wailed and cried at the death of their master, and somewhere far below, Jack wondered if he heard the screams of the last nightmares. He had to move. He had to get to Pitch. Spirits don’t die; he could save Pitch if he moved. Tooth stepped away from the burning corpses and sheathed one of her swords. Her mini-fairies swarmed her and chirped, before flying off to slam themselves into the shadows, killing the screams. Jack’s eyes watered, but he couldn’t cry. He didn’t need to, he could save Pitch, even as the green fires began to push forth through the body to the outside. Tooth was walking over to Jack, saying something he thought, but all Jack could do was stare. Pitch was dissolving right before Jack’s eyes, and he couldn’t move.

 

A grunt of effort and a blunt pain to the back of his head, and Jack’s world turned black.

 

 

 

Jack’s awakening came with a horrible headache and an immediate remembrance of what had happened. He took no account of his surrounds, like he should have, and simply began to wail his heartbreak at the loss of the one he cared for. He pounded the unfamiliar wooden floor with his fists until they bleed. He screamed and cried himself hoarse and worse as small traces of blood could be tasted in his mouth. He grabbed and pulled at his hair, then his hoodie and cried for all to hear his sorrow at the loss of Pitch. So great was his pain and fury, someone soon came in and rendered him unconscious again.

 

The second-time Jack woke up, he felt like his body was a separate part of him. His limbs felt like lead and while flat on his back, he could summon the strength to roll over. He quickly realized the reason; it was _hot_.  Jack wondered if he was in the desert as he could feel and see the astonishing bright light from behind his eyelids. Doing his best to feel out around his immobile body, Jack took note that he was on a hard stone floor. Cracking an eye open, he saw that the sun was beaming in directly from his right through an open, but brightly designed window. He also saw, with sickening nausea, that the window was barred.

 

Running his eye over the room as best he could, he quickly guessed he was in India in Toothiana’s palace. Everything was colored in shades of blues, greens and purples with beautiful murals covering the walls Jack could see. To his left, pushed up against the corner, was a plush bed with a wooden frame. Underneath the bed was a dark, cool welcoming shadow.

 

Jack had to pull deep inside himself to get his limbs to respond to him, and roll himself onto his stomach. Crawling towards the shade was long and winding task for Jack; he could see steam rolling off the backs of his hands. Working his way to the spot was also rendered him nauseous, but he finally made it under the bed. It wasn’t cold enough, but it was a hell of a lot better than being in a direct beam of hot sun. After a few moments of catching his breath, Jack looked out from under the bed at the rest of his new cell. It was at least better looking than North’s, with open, but barred windows, a pointed thatch ceiling that would give Jack some room to hover, and several shelves of books. None of that mattered, because it was still a cell. Looking around, Jack saw his staff leaning up against another window. He snorted; of fucking course. Like he was stupid enough to be tempted out from the only shade in the room to grab his staff right next to the light that was melting him. The Guardians sure were turning out to be assholes. Pitch had been right… and now he was gone.

 

Jack took a moment to pull his internal frost, mental and physical, around his emotions. It was a trick he had to develop after centuries of being alone. Jack couldn’t cry or lash out right now. He needed to get free; he needed… to get home. He would get out and give Pitch a burial like he deserved. After that… Jack pulled the frost tighter around himself. Think later, escape now.

 

Jack stayed in his shade for at least an hour before his door began unlocking. He waited patiently, it sounded like there were several heavy bolts. Finally, the door opened and the sound of several wings entered his room. “Jack?” called Toothiana, and Jack saw the bottoms of her feet hover into the middle of the room.

 

“Down here, Toothiana,” Jack called her by her full name; he was never going to call her by Tooth again. If she was going to act like a dictator queen, he’d call her by her title or full name.

 

The queen landed softly and knelt to look under the bed. Her face moved from pleased to hurt to a small amount of disappointment. “Why are you under there, Jack?”  Jack glared at the fairy, noting her head crest of feather fluttered at this glare before smoothing over again. “I am down here because it’s the only coolish spot in my new cell, your majesty.” Jack snarled at the queen and wanted to frost the feathers right off her head, but he needed to keep it in his core. Toothiana frowned in regret and nodded before laying more on the floor to mimic him. “I’m sorry, Jack. I know my palace isn’t the best place for you, but I really hope it’s only for a short time. With Pitch gone,” Jack jerked and growled at just how callous the damn woman was, “We can work on your Stockholm syndrome. I won’t tell the others about… the two of you. You should be allowed to be free soon.”

 

“Is that want you want to believe? That Pitch had me captive, against my will, and was bending my mind to his evil plans?” Jack snapped and inched his way to just outside of the bed frame, getting right in Toothiana’s face. “Fuck you and your Guardians. You just killed the man I was falling in love with. _He_ never locked me in a cell, for days on end. _He_ never locked me away period. He opened his home to me as a place to stay after Bunny got his head out of his ass. You Guardians were supposed to be good guys. Good guys don’t attack a newly un-coma-ed frost spirit because they can. Good guys don’t lock said frost spirit away for no reason. Good guys sure as hell don’t call on another good guy to beat up an innocent spirit and then watch that spirit get beat. They don’t kidnap, assault and terrorize spirits that don’t agree with them, who were always neutral. And they sure as hell don’t kill a man, after he just declared he wasn’t going to be a bad guy in his boyfriend’s presence. You can take all your ‘for the good of children’ and shove it straight up the place where you lay eggs.” Jack spat on the floor next to the woman and crawled back under the bed, turning his back to the queen in a final show of contempt.

 

Jack heard the fairy get up and stand by his bed for a few moments, before she sighed and said, “I will see if I can get a fan of some kind up here. I really don’t think you will be here long, Jack.” It sounded like her voice was cracking as she fluttered out of the room. Oh dear, he had hurt the queen’s feelings. Fuck that.

 

It soon became clear that the sun never really set in Punjam Hy Loo; it was either full day or the sun danced along the horizon. That meant that Jack never had a good chance to review his surroundings before overheating and crawling back under his bed. He did manage to get his staff back with him and under the bed a few hours after Toothiana’s first visit. Other visits followed; mini fairies mostly. Five flew in carrying a tray of lush tropical fruit, which Jack didn’t touch. A dozen brought in a cordless fan, powered by some magic, and pointed in under the bed for Jack. It wasn’t enough to completely rid Jack of his overheat headache, but it took the edge off. The mini fairies, especially Baby Tooth, stayed in his room regularly fluttering around to keep him company. On cloudier days, Jack would pull himself out from under the bed, freeze a large ice block in front of his fan, and read a book to the mini-fairies that visited that day.

 

Toothiana herself tried to visit and to bring presents, but as she entered through the door, and the little ones came in through the bars, Jack just pushed himself under the bed and ignored her. The only gifts Jack excepted were new, thin, and very brightly colorful cotton T-shirts and shorts. The problem was that Toothiana had tried insisting she help Jack dress. She had even gone so far as to grab at the hem of his hoodie to pull it up. Jack snapped again, screamed at her not to touch him and dove under his bed with the new clothes. Toothiana had left quickly after.

 

That’s all Jack did with his days now; at least he had people to talk to. Baby Tooth was actually trying to teach him their chirps, but Jack knew a lost cause when he heard one. If and when he got free, he never wanted to see anyone except Baby Tooth for the rest of his eternal life. It was just her with him today as he thumbed through a book. He was in one of his colorful thin tank tops, and a new pair of blue denim shorts lying on the stone floor on his stomach. There was a storm churning outside, complete with loud thunder and a harsh wind. Jack had whistled to the wind early on and it now filled his room with much needed cool air. Baby Tooth had herself wedged into his elbow to stop herself from being blown away, but she chirped for Jack to continue reading as he looked out the window. Jack grinned down at her, booped her golden feather and continued reading Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde. He was just getting to the part where the murder took place when the wind started to blow warming air back in. “Hey, come on, wind. I’m still dying in here.” Jack called to his old friend, who swirled around his head and retreated out the window. “Is it at least going to be cloudy the rest of the day?” Jack called out, receiving a high whistle in his ear, which meant yes. “Well, Baby Tooth, wind says we can take a nap out here for now.” Jack got up and pulled the tons of pillows from off his bed, reaching under it to pull out his favorite. After working up a nice nest, and popping Baby Tooth on a tiny corner of his favorite, Jack settled down on his stomach and relaxed.

 

Jack heard a voice as he started to wake up. It was low, coaching him to do something. His mind was foggy and somehow knew it was because he was too hot. The voice continued to talk to him, tell him to roll over to his back. Jack couldn’t feel any of his body again; too hot, just too hot. A pair of small hands touched his shoulders and rolled him over, his face gently slapping into stone from his dead weight. More coaching, to raise his arms, but Jack didn’t want to; he just wanted to lay in his pillows and wait for the wind to come back.

 

Someone slid their hand under his tank top and began pulling it towards his head. Jack tried to tell them to stop, to leave him alone, but all he could get was hot air, blowing out of his lungs. The voice, Jack was sure it was a woman’s, shushed him, telling him she was going to help him cool off. His arms and head were pulled up as the top was removed, and Jack groaned his displeasure and told his body to move away. Nothing moved, but the owner’s hands. A cool, wet cloth wiped down Jack’s face, over his whole neck and over his chest. Jack groaned again, and was finally able to voice a ‘stop’ as the cloth spent too long wiping over his left nipple.

 

“It’s ok, Jack. I am just cooling you off,” cooed Tooth as she moved the cloth down Jack’s semi-sunken in stomach Jack moaned and wanted to roll his body away from her. That’s when he felt her weight come down along his waist and hips. She was straddling him, washing the sticky sweat from his frame. He winced as she shifted her weight again, it felt like she was rocking herself along his hips. Nausea, first from the heat and now from her being so close, curled through Jack’s frame and he whined at the woman. “Sick… hot.”

 

“I know, Jack. I am helping you. Just stay relaxed,” Tooth fingers came to his waistband and began to undo it, tugging at the shorts that were stuck to Jack’s skin. Alarm bells began to ring in Jack’s overheated mind; he did not want anyone touching him, let alone below the waist. “No… st,”

 

“Easy Jack,” Tooth pulled his shorts down to his knees it felt like and continued to run the cloth over him, but Jack didn’t care how cool it was. He pulled his body back in line with his mind and opened his eyes. Toothiana’s hands were just moving to run the cloth along his penis and the fairy looked on with lust in her eyes. No, she couldn’t seriously…

 

Tooth tossed the washcloth aside and took his penis in her small hands. She squeezed it before rubbing it up and down. She was actually trying to make him erect. The nausea curled tighter throughout Jack’s body, and he gagged at the realization that Tooth was going to molest him and he couldn’t fight back. He hoped his body was sick enough to not give her what she wanted.

 

“Oh, Jack. You really are so handsome,” her hands had no rhythm; simply jerking Jack’s cock in an attempt to make it hard. “I am so sorry I couldn’t save you from Pitch.” You bitch, don’t mention him as you touch me. “Your first time shouldn’t have been with that villain.” I haven’t had my first time yet. “I will make sure this time is great for you.” With that last part, Jack realized with disgust that his body was reacting to her motions. He was hard.

 

Tooth sighed with joy and slipped one hand between her own legs, folding back some feathers to touch her womanhood. She moaned and arched her back as she slipped two fingers inside herself and prepared herself. She kept jerking him off with her other, and leaned down to kiss his stomach. “Fuck you,” Jack breathed and tried to turn over again, but the bitch just pinned him by his hips to the floor.

 

“I know you don’t mean that, Jack. Pitch polluted your mind. Once you accept that, we can let you go. You’ll be free again. You’ll be free to find a real special person to love,” Tooth sighed as she pulled her fingers from herself and spread the juice on Jack’s cock. Jack gagged again, wanted desperately to throw up something as Tooth pulled herself over him. He felt her rub her folds over his cock before he felt himself slip inside. She was hot and wet, and all Jack wanted to do was cry. She set a fast pace, thankfully, one that would have her climax and off of him. She kept saying how nice he felt, how long she had wanted him inside her. Worst was how she couldn’t wait until he forgot about Pitch and would see her as his special person.

 

Jack pulled his mind away from his body, trying to think back to the few blissful weeks with Pitch. The Boogeyman’s love for sexual puns; the soft, sneaky pinches and kisses that happened when Jack wasn’t paying attention. The one-time Jack had surprised Pitch with his own pun and had the shade doubled over laughing. The kisses, touches, and the words they shared just before Tooth arrived. Jack wanted them in his memories, not this perversion, not with her.

 

His body snapped back into connection with his mind as it was rushed toward orgasm. Tooth had turned herself away from Jack and was violently bouncing on him, chasing her own. Jack hisses and keed as his orgasm was ripped from him, much to the delight of the rapist. She rocked her hips in circles, rubbing her clit to completion on his lap. Her cry sounded like a musical songbird; it was completely unfitting for her. She panted and hummed in pleasure as she pulled herself away, cupping her womanhood to keep his cum inside. “Oh, how I wish I could bare you a fairy, Jack. I bet she would be the most beautiful blue.”

 

Jack glared at the woman as she flittered out of his room, promising to be back later. Finally free, the tears began to fall and Jack swore every Guardian to hell as his body finally let him fall unconscious. It wasn’t much later he woke up again. His fan was blowing on his face and as he turned to look, he saw a weeping Baby Tooth on it. He snarled, causing her to jerk back and fall off of the fan. “You don’t get to cry,” Jack snapped, feeling enough energy to roll to his side and slap at the fairy. She dodged, but stayed too close. Jack tried to slap her again, falling chest first onto the floor. “After what she’s done, _all of it_ , YOU don’t get to cry.” Baby Tooth came close to him, obviously pleading in her language, but Jack was done. He snapped his fist around the tiny fairy and squeezed. “I never want to see another of you again. The next one I see, I will freeze her to death.” Jack squeezed once more before throwing the mini-Tooth at a wall. She recovered quickly and flew out the window.

 

Jack wheezed from his efforts and pulled himself up enough to get his knees under him. He crawled for his bed, his small dark shadow, wishing above everything, that the darkness’s master was still alive to hear his heart broken sobs.

 

 

 

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...Told you I was bad

 


	5. No Escape from Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING, WARNING WARNING. BAD THINGS ARE COMING. ABORT ABORT. ABANDON STATIONS!!
> 
> This chapter took so long because... I am really really mean to Jack. 
> 
> **Edit: This chapter has been changed. The super bad stuff is now in the 'Bonus'. I made this change because this was my original idea. Certain people encouraged me to keep the rape in, but I want Pitch to stop just shy. Why? You will see in the final chapter that I HOPE to develop during break. This chapter is the canon chapter now.**
> 
>  
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack’s life was now a true living hell. He thought the last three hundred years were bad, but at least then, everyone respected his wishes. Tooth gave him no rest. Jack had taken his fan, staff and himself under the bed and iced the whole thing. It pulled dangerously from his core, but it was needed. He enjoyed the cold darkness for a few hours, in between crying and raging at the loss of his virginity to the damn woman. Said woman returned a few hours later, complaining about his threat to her fairies, but Jack stayed in his ice and didn’t respond to the rapist.

 

The next day, after some rest for Jack and his ice starting to melt, Tooth tried to reach under to grab him. This time, Jack wasn’t sick and flew at the bitch. It had been a nasty fight. Tooth slashed with her nails and her razor-sharp wings while Jack froze as much of her as he could and ripped tons of feathers from her body. She lashed him with a black eye and he snapped her left wrist. She won though, and she pinned him down again, taking what she wanted as Jack cursed her and all the mini-fairies again. This time she didn’t leave him alone to recover. She dragged his broken body to a sunbeam and took his fan away. She had stood in the doorway, her torso and right shoulder featherless, and told him it was all just part of the process of forgetting Pitch.

 

Jack couldn’t get himself up and over to his shadow for a full day, and it ended up not mattering. Tooth grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him out. This time he torn nearly half of her feather crown straight out and she beat him nearly as bad as Bunny had before. With the overheating and the battered body, she couldn’t fuck him this time, but she still drug him over to the sunbeam. With no time to heal over the last 2 days, Jack finally started vomiting his core. Small streams of water fell from his mouth with each of his gags, and his body became overcome with shakes.

 

He was still there now; completely in the sun, vomiting up not-cool-anymore water from his melting body. Tiny bits of breezes fluttered on his face, and between gags, Jack looked up to see the tiny Baby Tooth doing all in her power to cool him. She was panting in her efforts to fan him. He snarled, she winced, but put a stubborn look on her face and kept at it.

 

“I need… to leave,” said Jack to the tiny fairy, who nodded, but did nothing else. She hovered and fanned Jack. “I never thought,” Jack gagged and watched as his projected water steamed into vapor, “that I would have… to be _afraid_ … of a bright colored bird.” Jack did his best to sass as he felt his consciousness starting to slip again.

 

A deep rumble of a heavy storm came out of nowhere. Just as suddenly, the wind thundered through the room and darkness soon filled the windows as the storm blew in like nothing Jack had ever known. The relief of the cool wind and thickening darkness, faster than it should be possible, had Jack gasping delicious air and gave him enough strength to sit up. The storm outside was… breathtaking; it was quickly completely darkening the sky. The winds churned and swirled around Jack. Feeling a small amount of worry, even after everything, for the tiny Baby Tooth, Jack looked for the tiny fairy, but she had completely vanished.

 

The darkness continued to grow in its blackness, and somewhere inside of Jack, he prayed that it was a sign of Pitch’s return. Even after all the evidence against Pitch being alive-his body had been _disengaging_ \- Jack prayed for a savior. The wind continued to pick up, giving Jack strength as the room became darker and darker. Reason was thrown to the side as Jack flew to the window, grabbed onto the bars and screamed, “PITCH!!” The storm sounded a boom and several lightning strikes rolled through the palace, taking pieces of the elaborate wall tiles that covered the towers. The wind grew stronger and darkness continued to deepen; Jack’s entire room now looked like dusk had finally arrived.

 

Tears strained in Jack’s eyes as he was about to call out again, just as three shapes descended from the clouds. Jack finally recognized what he was seeing; Wind, his oldest friend, looked to have gathered the last of Pitch’s forces. The clouds were actually partly the last of the Fearlings and living shadows, and the three larger shapes were Twilight, Onyx, and Charcoal flying to his aid. One of them lead the way, her ears tight to her head as she galloped through the air with all her might. The other two took her flank, snorting and shooting down with her.

 

Jack gasped and screamed as thousands of tiny fairies charged up at the three nightmares. The two flankers rearing and called out, and tiny tornados of Fearlings descended from the bulk of the clouds. The battle was on; Fearlings and living shadows tried to swallow the bright little fairies. The fairies punched and flew through the darkness, taking holes out of the thin tornados. Two of the nightmares zigged and zagged through the masses, chomping down the tiny fairies and keeping them in their sandy stomachs. The lead mare took no notice and continued to barrel her way through, her golden eyes glued to Jack’s blue.

 

“Please, Charcoal,” Jack could barely whisper as he watched her. It could only be _his_ Charcoal; she had always done so much for him. Gripping his staff and one of the bars with his left hand, he waved with his right, his mind praying she could-

 

Tooth arrived on the scene from beneath the mob of mini fairies, her swords were drawn as she flew at Twilight and Onyx. The two flew and danced around, just missing her strikes. They fought like a well-oiled team; flitting and ducking around Tooth’s blows while picking out a few mini fairies. It didn’t matter; there was no way they could stand against such numbers for long. The cloud of shadows was thinning as more of the Fearlings were being taken out and Tooth changed tactics, chasing after one of the nightmares with singular focus. The mini-fairies crowded her, blocking her path, just as Tooth looped down from over-head, decapitating her just like her master. The rest of her sandy body dissolved, freeing the fairies from inside and all descended on the other of the pair.

 

Jack called out again, calling for the other to run, but it was too late. She stood her ground, turning around and charged at the Tooth fairy. With a quick strike, the other nightmare dissolved as well. Tooth’s eyes turned to Charcoal, who drew closer. “CHARCOAL!” Jack screamed, reaching through his bars. She was right there. She dissolved herself and fell through the bars, becoming a puddle of sand on the floor. It took a few moments-Jack kneeled down and gently pet some of the sand- before the nightmare took her form again. She was wobbly, and stumbled before Jack could prop her up. She shook her head, took note of Jack, a neighed weakly in joy as she headbutted him in the shoulder. Jack sniffled and laughed softly between his sniffles as he hugged the mare's head.

 

“Please, Charcoal. Let’s get out of here,” Jack pleaded into the sandy neck, before turning his eyes outside. Wind was blowing the mini fairies around in circles, but it was definitely starting to brighten up again. Tooth was out of sight now, and it wouldn’t take her long to get into the room. Releasing the nightmare, Jack moved to his bookcase and shoved the thing in front of the door. It wouldn’t help for long, but Jack hoped it would be enough. Almost immediately, he heard her, grabbing at the outside locks. “Charcoal, under the bed!!” Jack pushed at the mare’s flank as he pushed her down first. He shoved himself in after her as Tooth tried pushing the door in, hearing it thunk against the case. Jack held on to the nightmare, and waiting to be taken through the shadows. Charcoal’s eyes closed, and her feet began to meld with the shadow, but Jack felt no drop or the pressing nausea that should have come over him. “Charcoal,” Jack whispered in fear as the nightmare lowered her head to his leg and shook. Was she… crying? “We can’t escape,” Jack realized as the Nightmare was slowly breaking apart. Bits of her muzzle crumbled away, the sand sluffing to the floor. Jack’s eyes watered again and he leaned his body around the mare. “Thank you,” Jack stroked the wonderful girl, feeling sand break free under his palm. “Thank you for coming to save me, Charcoal.” Tears rolled onto the mare, digging sandy groves down her ribs. The bookcase was being crashed into now. Charcoal’s right rear leg completely dissolved as she turned her face to Jack for the last time. He stroked her muzzle, watching as his fingers sank into the sand and watched it fall to the floor. “Thank you,” the bookcase went crashing to the ground and Charcoal collapsed under her own weight into nothing but a puddle of black sand.

 

Jack splayed his fingers through the puddle of sand as Tooth and her mini-fairies lifted the bed. He ignored her as he swept the sand together. She was talking and he froze the sand in small clumps. She touched him, and he flew at her, slamming her into the bars. He shoved her head against the bars, again and again, wanting so badly to splatter her brain all over the wall. She was bloodied, and dazed, but she was still stronger, even with the storm-cooled winds. She slapped him with the flat of her sword and sent him to the ground. She hovered over him as he glared. “Do whatever you want, Toothiana. We both know the other Guardians aren’t going to stop you. But just so your deranged mind can hear it once: I will _NEVER_ care about you. You can rape me every day, and I will fight and _hate_ you every time. I will try to kill you every time I can. Do you hear me?” Jack snarled up at her as she bristled like a feathered pin cushion. He thought, smugly, how ugly she looked with half her feathers missing. She hovered herself over him, pulling herself straight to his face and _smiled_. “You’re right, Jack,” she tried to purr his name, causing Jack’s stomach to curl and cramp. “The others won’t care, because they don’t know. No one knows you are here, and no one will.” She reached out for his cheek, smiling bigger as he bared his teeth at her. “Someday, after I have collected the right magic, you are going to be a father,” Jack jerked back in even more horror, pushing himself away from the insane woman. “You’ll be a father, Jack. Our children will be beautiful, with perfect teeth. I hope at least one has your ice powers.” Jack pushed himself further away, but Tooth followed; her eyes gleamed with the idea of children. “Until then, I will just have to earn your love.” Tooth hummed and touched her lips with her fingers, before biting her forefinger, lust starting to cover her eyes.

 

Jack thudded his back against the wall, looking up to see the mini-fairies still holding up his bed. His hands spread behind him, and he gasped behind his teeth as he felt the last of Charcoal. Looking back, he tried to freeze the sand together. A ‘tuff’ from Tooth pulled his attention back to the witch. “Guess I’ll need to get you a broom then. Though, I guess it’s best if I do it myself.” Jack panicked, his eyes widen as he tried moving his body in front of the sand pile. Tooth grinned and hovered closer, blowing some of the sand away with just her wings.

 

“STOP IT,” Jack cried, shaking all over as he watched his tormentor. She smirked and flapped hard again, sending some of Charcoal into the air. Jack felt like he was going to start hyperventilating; he needed to keep her. Even if she was only corrupted dream sand, she had been his friend. Looking at the damn woman he knew there was no reason in asking for her help. But then, a disgusting idea soon entered his mind, turning his stomach even more, but he knew it was too good for her to pass up. “Give me a jar,” Jack spoke in a monotone voice, already feeling his body slip away from his mind. “Give me a jar to put her in, and I won’t fight tonight.”

 

Tooth face fell and she stilled, except for her general hovering. Her face ran through a range of emotions; confusion, delight, lust, but strangely a small amount of anger and disgust. Clearing her throat, which sounded rough for a moment, she asked, “Really, Jack? You would give yourself to me tonight, just to put that sand in a jar?” Tooth cooed as she reached over and cupped his chin, petting him. Jack controlled himself, and did not flinch at her touch.

 

“Yes, Tooth. I will not fight your rape if I can put her to rest. She was the last thing I had of Pitch,” Jack continued with his monotone as Tooth’s hands moved from his chin to the sides of his head. She was petting his face and running her small fingers through his hair. She set pecking kisses over his cheeks, his ears and was starting on his neck. “The jar, Toothiana.” Jack asked again as he leaned himself away from her lips.

 

Tooth pulled his face to hers with her hands, and their eyes locked. “All for dead dream sand, Jack?”

 

Jack growled at the witch and snapped his teeth together at her nose. “Yes, Toothiana. Give me a jar!”

 

Tooth scowled and flew away from him and ‘paced’ the room, muttering under her breath. The mini fairies deposited the bed off to the side and swarmed her as moved from one side to the next. Jack could barely catch any of it. “…been in too long…” “broken his mind…” “…is he recoverable...” 

 

“The jar, Tooth,” Jack commanded again, ignoring her continued insane prattling as he leaned his head back and rested his eyes. Gods, today was a new level of hell for him.

 

“No, Jack Frost,” spoke a voice that Jack had never heard before. His eyes snapped open and looked at Tooth… then around the room. Everything was melting, like a painting that had gotten too hot. The murals bleed down to the floor, which was swirling on itself. The windows and the bars twisted and the sounds of their rattling sounded like teeth gnashing together. Jack looked back to Tooth and tried to climb up the wall behind him; the mini fairies around her were each dissolving into small fluttering skeletons. Tooth herself was having each of her feather fall off one section at a time. As the room continued to dissolve, it began to take on an inky, stinky blackness that curled and twisted from the windows, flowing along the walls and over the floor. Briefly, the phrase ‘bad acid trip’ echoed in Jack’s mind, but that didn’t stop the panic screams that flew from his mouth.

 

The fairies continued to dissolve; the mini fairies’ bones popped off piece by piece until only the skulls and wings hovered in place. Tooth was now completely shadowed in blackness and was looking almost like a Fearling version of herself. The room dissolved completely and Jack now sat on nothing but a huge blank expanse. The Fearling Tooth hovered close to him again and Jack felt frozen in place. It was like thickened air, which felt… so familiar….

 

“Wake up, Jack…” Tooth said, and Jack was falling.

 

Jack screamed as he fell from nothing and was cast into a whirlpool of horrible flashbacks. North trapping him, calling him sick and throwing him in a cage. Sandy watching as Bunny beat him. Jaime rejecting him and the others trying to trap him again. Tooth’s brutality.

 

Pitch’s smile as he leaned in for a kiss…

 

 

 

Jack woke up like he had slammed into a cement floor, gasping and clawing at his throat for air. He was wrapped around something, tight around his knees, looped from his right lower hip up around his back to his left ribs and a weight was pressed tight into the left side of his neck. Panic and fear were still having him fight everything, though whatever bonds held up didn’t waiver. It took several moments between his panicking for Jack to notice that he was in a dark cave. A light was shining behind him, but it was a very soft hue that didn’t let him see much. Its light allowed Jack to notice that he was facing the backrest of a stone throne. It took even longer for his breathing to quiet enough to recognize that soft, soothing words were being whispered into his neck. Fresh panic erupted through Jack’s body as realized that he was being held by someone, and that their head was pressed against him. Those arms around him that held him tightened and that voice whispered to him again. Jack didn’t want to be touched by anyone, at all.

 

Especially when that someone was supposed to be dead…

 

“Shush, Jack. You are awake. You are awake now.” Pitch whispered in his gentle, British voice. His chin was pushing into Jack’s collarbone, trying to stop Jack’s thrashing. His long, thin fingers were digging into his right knee and his other hand had moved up to Jack’s shoulder and gripped him tight. Jack whined and panic built, even moving back to hyperventilating. “You… you can’t… Tooth…” Jack dissolved into whimpers.

 

Pitch raised his head from Jack’s neck and stood up from the throne. Jack looked up to Pitch’s face, and say that he was in perfect form, just like when he last saw him. Jack’s head burst with lights and colors as the last months slammed back into Jack’s forefront. Jack screamed in pain as he tried to understand what was happening compared to what had happened.

 

Pitch was walking them somewhere, Jack was too panicked to care. The whole time Pitch whispered that he was awake, awake. Finally, Jack had enough of the panic and whispers and everything and screamed, “WHAT WAS THAT!!?” before choking and gagging again, grabbing at his throat and head.

 

Pitch set Jack down on a plush armchair; past his shoulder, Jack saw a massive library. It looked the same as before. Pitch face stayed in Jack’s view, but Jack tried to push Pitch’s hands off his knee and thigh. Stop touching me right now echoed in Jack’s mind.

 

“Jack, everything was a nightmare. It was a nightmare I carefully crafted to make you feel the worst panic and fear I could pull from you.” Pitch’s voice was almost monotone as he explained things. Jack was still gasping, but he lashed a hand up and grabbed at Pitch’s robe and shook him as best the frightened frost spirit could. “Everything?!” Jack questioned as images of their kisses passed through his brain, pulling tears into his eyes as he glared at the shadow man.

 

Pitch stared at him for a few long moments before his eyes cast down and the shade sighed as he nodded. “Everything.” Pitch caught Jack as the eternal teen collapsed forward, crying harder. Jack’s fists came up and slammed into any piece of the shade that he could manage, and Pitch took the weak blows with no complaints. Jack finally pushed himself free of Pitch’s hold and fell to the floor, screaming into the dark stone work. No matter if it was a dream, _everything_ had felt real to him. Jack felt sick to his core as Pitch rested his hands on his back, like he was trying to soothe him. “DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!!”

 

Pitch’s hands were gone for a short time, but he knelt down to be more on Jack’s level. He offered the Frost spirit no words, so Jack demanded them. “Why did you do this? Just have me fucking drowning in the lake for days. Why did you…” Jack gagged and grabbed his stomach. Just thinking about Tooth or Bunny… Jack vomited some water.

 

“An immortal spirit’s fear is some of the most powerful in our world. The thing about fear is that you overcome it the more often it happens. Only using the lake nightmare would have allowed you to overcome your fear of drowning.” Pitch was so monotoned, so lecture like in his explanations.

 

“Fuck you,” Jack whispered between his gags and sobs as he curled himself up tighter. The dream memories were running laps in his head, while their first kiss was the one that stayed at the center of his mind. “What you did… to me,”

 

“Cannot be forgiven, and I would not ask that of you…” a sense of foreboding seized Jack in the pit of his stomach and along his back. His head jerked up, but Pitch was gone. Around him swam pure darkness, with some small Fearlings gnashing their teeth at the edges of the space. As weak as he was from the fear and vomiting, Jack sprang up. Something else was going to happen, he felt it in the way his body shivered and his hair stood up.

 

Jack ran.

 

It was amazing how easy it was to run his way through the maze that was Pitch’s lair now. All those months, dream or no, walking his lair had Jack running over the moat’s bridge and down the path in moments. He nearly fell face first and skidded to a stop as Pitch stood there, just by the exit, tapping his staff gently into his open palm. The Boogeyman was looking down, but as his forehead wrinkled and smoothed, Jack knew he was up to something. “Give… give me my staff, Pitch,” Jack tried to summon some of his bravado, but he was shaking too hard. His voice was shot from everything.

 

Pitch looked up, face as smooth as stone, but his eyes were glowing an even brighter yellow. He glided over to Jack, watching as the frost spirit flinched, his hand out for the staff, but shaking like a leaf. Pitch was certainly a master at his work. He turned the staff with a flick of his wrist and offered the straight end to the boy.

 

Just as Jack’s hand closed around it, Pitch’s other hand lashed out and brutally grabbed his wrist, squeezing the bones to click together. The staff dissolved into the shadows as Pitch yanked the freshly panicked spirit to his chest, touching his cheek and neck. Jack’s pupils became pin pricks in his eyes as he realized something. All the things he felt in Pitch’s nightmares-Bunny’s attacks, Tooth’s and Pitch’s touches- were nothing to what he felt awake. He screamed and fell to his knees as the bones of his wrist clicked together. The searing heat from Pitch’s touch to his face hadn’t left his frozen skin as tears started to well in his eyes. “STOP TOUCHING ME!” Jack screamed as he tried to yank himself free of the Boogeyman’s grip. It felt like hot steel on his skin, and he felt fresh nausea coil in his stomach.

 

“No, Jack… I am not done,” whispered Pitch and suddenly Jack was falling into the darkness, Pitch still staring at him, his wrist still captured. Jack’s knees hit stone as they land, gasping for breath in his tortured lungs. He heard a growl, jerking his eyes up as Pitch’s face contorted into that of rage. The frost spirit was jerked up and thrown back. Landing on something strongly soft. Jack hands felt the soft cloth, the give of plush under his weight… and he saw the way Pitch was watching him.

 

Jack had just been tossed onto a sky blue futon by the spirit who could read his greatest fears.

 

“NOOO!” Jack screams rang through the small cavern they were in as he pulled himself away from the other spirit. Only to feel a bony but strong hand wrap around his ankle and another to clamp down on his neck, pinning him into the mattress and cutting off his air. Jack gagged, scratching at the offending gray hand, whole body kicking, scratching and bucking against the man that was trying to settle his weight onto Jack’s torso. Not this! Anything but this! Jack tried to scream from his mind into Pitch’s, feeling the hand tighten on his throat.

 

Pitch’s face lost its scowl and became unmovable stone as shadows leapt up from the corners of the futon. One for each of Jack’s ankles and wrists, pulling the immortal teen spread eagle and tight against the mattress. The hand on his throat released, but moved up to cover his mouth, silencing his attempted screams of mercy. The other hand left his ankle and lifted the hem of his sweatshirt, spreading fire burning fingers and a palm up over Jack’s taut stomach and up to his breastbone. Jack’s body shivered and jerked, and he swore he felt blood rushing to his pants. No, nonono.

 

As Pitch climbed up his body to loom over Jack, the frostling felt everything still. The shade didn’t move to touch him, didn’t speak to him. Either of them even seemed to breath. After a few moments, Jack turned his eyes to look up at the other spirit. Jack’s vision was blurry, but he could see Pitch’s face moving and contorting as he thought. He looked just as pained as Jack thought he would be. The Boogeyman’s back stiffened, and his face rested on Jack’s breastbone, making the teen tense. Soon, a growl of raw pained frustration fell from Pitch’s mouth and he jerked himself away from Jack, turning to face the wall. In several quick moments, Pitch was dressed, Jack was freed _and_ dressed, and Pitch wrapped his arms around the teen in a bridal hold. Just as Jack was about to scream, they were falling…

 

And _blinded_ by some of the brightest light Jack had ever been in. Jack threw up his hands to his eyes, and even they didn’t completely block the light. A cry of pain leaving Jack was nothing of the scream of pain from Pitch. He felt the shade drop to his knees, hissing and grunting in pain.

 

Good.

 

It seemed to take the older spirit a lot of strength to reclaim his footing. He was carrying Jack somewhere, but it was still too bright… they reached some shade. It was just enough for the pain in Jack’s eyes to recede and he fought to be free of Pitch’s grasp. Pitch dropped again, landing in… snow?!

 

Jack peeked his bruised eyes open and gasped at what was above him. Their structure of his coldest ice and Pitch’s corrupted dream sand. They were in the Antarctic, in the early summer. Pitch quickly pulled himself away from Jack, and Jack could see the shadow robe boiling away in the light shining through and around their glacier. There were also angry burns growing on Pitch’s face, neck and hands. The Boogeyman was breathing through his teeth, even snapping them some against the pain of the sun. It took a few, but when Pitch opened his eyes, they bored into Jack’s soul. The teen curled in tight to himself, closing his eyes and turning his face into the permafrost under him. What could he do to Jack here that would hurt worse than being done at the lair?

 

“I will never ask for your forgiveness, Jack Frost. I will only admit my regret at not allying myself to you centuries ago.” The voice wasn’t as smooth as normal, but it only made Jack curl in fear more. _Please, no more!_ Footsteps told Jack that Pitch was moving closer to the glacier of corrupt dream sand. Jack peeked his eye open, fearing but wanting to know what would happen to him next. Pitch’s hands moved up and down the ice, before pulling back, drawing small streams of the sand with him. They were not much, but as they swirled in Pitch’s hands, they took shape. One turned into a tiny horse, no bigger than the pad of Pitch’s thumb. The other turned into a tiny rabbit of the same size.

 

Pitch held the small sand sculptures in his palms as he crossed back over, looking down at Jack. “PLEASE!!” Jack screamed, covering his head against whatever onslaught Pitch planned. He heard the Boogeyman’s steps skid slightly, like the shade was thrown back by the frostling’s scream for mercy. But still he knelt down by the immortal teen’s head. “Look at me, Jack Frost.” Jack trembled and jerked at his name, before peeking up through his arm at the man. Pitch showed him the two tiny figures. He placed the tiny horse on the ground next to Jack’s head, before his hand shoved itself into the dim shadows cast by the structure above them. The shadows were sluggish, like they didn’t want to obey their welder, but as Pitch pulled back, Jack’s staff was in his hand. That was laid down next to the tiny sand horse. “I will grant you your revenge. Break this horse when you are ready to take it, Jack. I will be summoned to the place of your choosing. I will not come if you are with others. Should you try to, the horse will simply reform itself.” The monotone was back, Jack thought as Pitch looked down at him. He held up the tiny rabbit figure, before dropping it into the sluggish shadows around him. The shadows rippled and churned around the sand bunny before it disappeared, and Jack felt a snap of magic around him.  “I have sent that to Aster. He will be here soon… He will treat you.” Pitch stood up and without another word or look, sank into the shadows around Jack, leaving the petrified teen alone with his tears.


	6. Bonus *no longer canon*

It was amazing how easy it was to run his way through the maze that was Pitch’s lair now. All those months, dream or no, walking his lair had Jack running over the moat’s bridge and down the path in moments. He nearly fell face first and skidded to a stop as Pitch stood there, just by the exit, tapping his staff gently into his open palm. The Boogeyman was looking down, but as his forehead wrinkled and smoothed, Jack knew he was up to something. “Give… give me my staff, Pitch,” Jack tried to summon some of his bravado, but he was shaking too hard. His voice was shot from everything.

 

Pitch looked up, face as smooth as stone, but his eyes were glowing an even brighter yellow. He glided over to Jack, watching as the frost spirit flinched, his hand out for the staff, but shaking like a leaf. Pitch was certainly a master at his work. He turned the staff with a flick of his wrist and offered the straight end to the boy.

 

Just as Jack’s hand closed around it, Pitch’s other hand lashed out and brutally grabbed his wrist, squeezing the bones to click together. The staff dissolved into the shadows as Pitch yanked the freshly panicked spirit to his chest, touching his cheek and neck. Jack’s pupils became pin pricks in his eyes as he realized something. All the things he felt in Pitch’s nightmares-Bunny’s attacks, Tooth’s and Pitch’s touches- were nothing to what he felt awake. He screamed and fell to his knees as the bones of his wrist clicked together. The searing heat from Pitch’s touch to his face hadn’t left his frozen skin as tears started to well in his eyes. “STOP TOUCHING ME!” Jack screamed as he tried to yank himself free of the Boogeyman’s grip. It felt like hot steel on his skin, and he felt fresh nausea coil in his stomach.

 

“No, Jack… I am not done,” whispered Pitch and suddenly Jack was falling into the darkness, Pitch still staring at him, his wrist still captured. Jack’s knees hit stone as they land, gasping for breath in his tortured lungs. He heard a growl, jerking his eyes up as Pitch’s face contorted into that of rage. The frost spirit was jerked up and thrown back. Landing on something strongly soft. Jack hands felt the soft cloth, the give of plush under his weight… and he saw the way Pitch was watching him.

 

Jack had just been tossed onto a sky blue futon by the spirit who could read his greatest fears.

 

“NOOO!” Jack screams rang through the small cavern they were in as he pulled himself away from the other spirit. Only to feel a bony but strong hand wrap around his ankle and another to clamp down on his neck, pinning him into the mattress and cutting off his air. Jack gagged, scratching at the offending gray hand, whole body kicking, scratching and bucking against the man that was trying to settle his weight onto Jack’s torso. Not this! Anything but this! Jack tried to scream from his mind into Pitch’s, feeling the hand tighten on his throat.

 

Pitch’s face lost its scowl and became unmovable stone as shadows leapt up from the corners of the futon. One for each of Jack’s ankles and wrists, pulling the immortal teen spread eagle and tight against the mattress. The hand on his throat released, but moved up to cover his mouth, silencing his attempted screams of mercy. The other hand left his ankle and lifted the hem of his sweatshirt, spreading fire burning fingers and a palm up over Jack’s taut stomach and up to his breastbone. Jack’s body shivered and jerked, and he swore he felt blood rushing to his pants. No, nonono.

 

Jack fought to get his mouth free of the shade’s hand, jerking his neck and face frantically. The offending hand lifted from him, but a snake of shadows covered it instead. The narrow shadow slithered into his mouth like a disgusting worm, binding itself to his tongue. Jack’s body arched and jerk, despite to snap his binds and to run far, far away. His body jerked the other way, and a gasp was pulled from his throat as Pitch levered up his sweatshirt over his head. Twin gray, searing hot hands smoothed out over Jack’s shaking muscles. Fingertips touched his nipples, making the teen cry out as tears streamed down his eyes. Pitch, cold and calculating, played Jack’s body for everything Jack could give. It felt good, and Jack hated everything. From the way Pitch sucked and nipped on his neck and collarbone. His hands and fingers teasing Jack’s nipples into small rounded tips. The way it had taken mere minutes for Jack’s cock to be hard and uncomfortable against his pants.

 

None of the feelings that Jack had had from the nightmare had left him. Even in this, the cruelest action Pitch could do to him, Jack remembered the softness of before. Jack’s eyes cast unseeing to the side, tears streaming like rivers as Pitch began unlacing his pants from his calves. The shade said nothing as he swept off the pants, feeling the shadows on his ankles left for a brief moment, but Jack couldn’t move.

 

Jack prayed his mind would separate from his body like it had with Tooth. He saw Pitch disrobe from the corner of his eye, and couldn’t keep them open anymore. He jerked and bit into the shadow in his mouth as Pitch spread his right leg up. Some gel was placed around his asshole and Pitch’s finger rubbed it slowly, working it. He screamed as Pitch breached him, jerking and twisting as the finger slathered more gel into his insides. The finger pulled back and now two pushed into him, making his whole back snap off the bed in pain. Jack just wanted to roll over and hide himself away. The disgusting spirit actually pushed what felt like a small plastic tube of the gel directly inside of him and squeezed.

 

After that, Jack just chewed as hard on the shadow around his tongue as he could. Pitch pushed inside of him with no gloating, but no mercy either. The shade was brutal, moving in and out of Jack with abandon, Jack wondered if he was bleeding. His cock was still half hard, and Jack absolutely hated himself for. Pitch’s fingers caressed the lean organ, bring it back to full mast and Jack screamed in frustration and pain. “It is nothing more than a physical reaction, Jack.” It was all Pitch said in-between his soft grunts and groans as he pulled Jack’s leg over his narrow shoulder. Jack was granted one single mercy; Pitch finished quickly. A stream of hot cum filled Jack as Pitch panted softly, eyes closed for a moment before their yellow glow moved to Jack’s own cock. The shade slipped out of him easily now and he lowered his mouth to Jack’s groin, sucking down the ridged flesh. It was so intense that Jack felt himself release after two strokes of the shade’s tongue. Pitch swallowed down his fluid calmly before releasing the spent member.

 

As Pitch climbed up his body to loom over Jack, the frostling felt everything still. The shade didn’t move to touch him, didn’t speak to him. Either of them even seemed to breath. After a few moments, Jack turned his eyes to look up at the other spirit. Jack’s vision was blurry, but he could see Pitch’s face moving and contorting as he thought. He looked just as pained as Jack thought he would be. The Boogeyman’s back stiffened, and his face rested on Jack’s breastbone, making the teen tense. Soon, a growl of raw pained frustration fell from Pitch’s mouth and he jerked himself away from Jack, turning to face the wall. In several quick moments, Pitch was dressed, Jack was freed _and_ dressed, and Pitch wrapped his arms around the teen in a bridal hold. Just as Jack was about to scream, they were falling…


	7. Last Chapter has been completed

The last chapter has been completed tonight. It needs to be pre-read and a million spell checks, but it will be up as soon as possible. Yes, this will be the last chapter. It will not be happy. Please have your comfort blankies ready.


	8. In the end, does any one win?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prepare your comfort items. You will need them.

The shadows crawled and skirted their way through the Earth. It had never been difficult for Pitch to keep track of the Guardians. They never noticed the off-center shadow of that chair in the Workshop or the singularly dark window on high at the Tooth Palace. Pitch hadn’t the strength to do so in years, but… thanks to… recent actions, he felt nearly full power. So now the shadows snaked the small nightmare-sand bunny deep, down to the Warren.

 

Bunny was tending to his fields when the shadow breached the beautifully green home of Spring. The rabbit was pulling the old, weak egg crops and planting fresh ones in their places. As it was yet Christmas, there was no true sense of rush for the rodent. The nightmare-sand bunny slowly came to life, hopping forward and the shadow, and Pitch’s consciousness to it, disappeared.

 

Bunny’s ears snapped up, feeling and just hearing an intruder in his realm. His first instinct made his head turn upward, expecting to see a certain white-haired trouble maker popping in for an early winter visit. Well, winter in North’s area and the kid was more on the old Russian’s schedule. When that proved untrue, he pulled the boomerangs from their holders and stood up to his full 6’1” glory and scanned the field. He was in an off-shoot of the main fields. Here, the eggs were more of the at-a-need basis, such as Pitch popping up and trying to ruin Easter again.

 

Thinking of that damn shade was what finally tipped his nose off to the faint smell. Like moldy deep earth and cave salt, Bunny’s ear went back flat to his head and he tapped his paw on the ground twice. One of his largest sentry stone eggs answered his call as Bunny stalked forward, his nose twitching.

 

The soft movement of his last column of egg crop caught his attention and he leaps over them to be behind whatever was in his garden. He pushed the plants to one side with his ‘rangs and hissed at the nightmare-sand rabbit. It was about the size of his thumb and moving on its two rear legs. It looked like some of the upright chocolate bunnies he’d make for the ankle bitters. It took notice of him and hopped forward, slowly and without any grace that Pitch tended to work into his creations.

 

As the thing neared him, he leaned down closer to it. Yeah, that was definitely Pitch’s scent, but… there were others. His nose twitched at high speed as the nightmare-sand creature stopped right in front of him. Who the hell was…

 

A quick imagine came to mind of sparkling blue eyes and teeth, and Bunny thought his heart was going to stop cold.

 

“You filthy, stinky Ratbag mother- WHERE IS HE?!!” Bunny screamed at the black rabbit. His small, but sharp nails dug into the earth around the message. Couldn’t kill it just yet, but Bunny’s body tightened in preparation to fight, rage consuming him. The little sand bunny cocked its head and cracked open to reveal a small ice sliver. The rest of the sand dissolved away as Bunny took the small piece in-between his fingers. Sitting back on his haunches, he looked it over. It was a beautiful blue, but with flecks of black sand in it. His nose pressed close to it and took long sniffs. It was faint, but he was sure he smelt a tough of penguins on it. That did limit the area for him to look, and nothing was going to stop him from searching the whole bloody globe for his little mate. Then Pitch was going to pay for anything and everything he did to the newest Guardian.

 

Bunny was a whirl of movement as he moved around the Warren to get things. An egg that had a small beam of sunshine in the middle of it. A pair of paw covers since Jack was being kept somewhere cold. A second and third row of bomb eggs and a small vial of healing for Jack, made up of some of the coldest ice in Antarctica. Thinking about the little healing vial makes up Bunny’s mind to search the Antarctic first. Smacking his left paw to the ground, and using his right to grid the leftover nightmare-sand into the soil, Bunny hopped down into the depth of the planet.

 

It took moments for Bunny to cross an ocean and dig himself up to the surface of the still frozen continent. The sun was beaming down and bouncing off the mostly white surface of the area. Bunny leaned down to adjust the paw covers before setting his nose to the air. Nothing in the area, but he wasn’t leaving until he checked every single corner. With a quick body shake to fluff up his fur against the elements, Bunny started his search.

 

Jack hadn’t moved. Fear of Pitch’s return kept him in space, staring at the tiny nightmare-sand horse by his staff. Could Pitch see him from the small creation? What was it he had said about Bunny? Jack hissed and dug his fingers into his scalp again. Thinking about Bunny brought pain and disjointed memories to his mind. He couldn’t piece together what was real and what had been a dream. A whimper broke through his teeth as his fingers dug in harder, his legs curling up tighter to the rest of him. What was-

 

“Jackie boy?” An Australian accent called out from behind the ice and sand structure at Jack’s head. The frostling tensed and shuddered, drawing tighter into himself, even pulling his hoodie up to cover his head. Solid steps were coming closer, and a soft gasp from nearby had Jack’s hand flying up to find a grip on his staff.

 

Bunny couldn’t keep the small gasp that fell from his maw, even if he had tried. It wasn’t just Jack appearance. His pants leg’s laces were undone, and the hoodie was inside out. It wasn’t the setting with Jack laying in the fetal position next to a huge statue of ice and shadows. It had to have been a result of Jack battling Pitch. The position and body language of the kid was killing him. He was so tightly coiled around himself, like he was expecting a blow to fall on him at any moment. No, that still wasn’t the worst part.

 

The worst part came as Bunny gasped and the scents surrounding Jack caught up with Bunny’s brain. He _reeked_ of fear, but there were equal parts shame and arousal that left no room in Bunny’s mind what happened. The only thing missing, thankfully, was the scent of Pitch’s arousal.

 

No way around it; Pitch molested their Jack.

 

_And he was going to pay dearly for it!!!_

 

“That-!!”

 

“DON’T HURT ME!” Bunny stopped his rant before it even started, feeling his stomach drop and blood freeze at Jack’s plea. Bunny’s eyes scanned over the young spirt again, before looking around them. There was no immediate threat that he could see or smell.

 

“Jackie-boy,” Bunny lowered his voice, taking on a gentling tone. Still, the boy flinched hard and sounds of tearful sniffling reached the Easter bunny’s ears. “Jack, I’m not going to hurt ya, mate.” Bunny whispered quietly.

 

“You always do,” Bunny’s back went rod straight as Jack continued. “I didn’t mean to cause the blizzard, but you still hit me. You… you tried hitting me 5 years ago.” Jack’s cries were getting harsher and Bunny just wanted to swipe the kid up into his arms. “You only stopped because North and Tooth were there.”

 

Bunny gulped down the sourness that had come into his mouth, feeling his claws dig into his paw hand as he made fists. Jack was right; the only reason he hadn’t hit Jack was because North and Tooth were there. Jack… why was it so easy to be mad at Jack? He remembered the blizzard; he had seen the little frost spirit talking with someone, two seconds before that other person disappeared and Bunny dug his way up to the kid. He had taken in just how small the frost spirit was before he started yelling at him. Jack first claiming his innocence, but as soon as Bunny dropped an insult, the spirit tried to fly away.

 

Jack… had never been anything more than verbal confrontation with bunny, while the rabbit… was quick to go to blows.

 

Jack was in a sensitive state and Bunny being angry over Pitch wasn’t going to help matters. The Easter rabbit screwed up his eyes and pulled on his inner magic, feeling himself shrink down into a much small, non-threatening version of himself. The truly rabbit-sized Aster hopped just a touch closer.

 

“Jackie, mate, please look at me,” Bunny kept his voice low and soft. He wasn’t going to hurt Jack, but rushing the frostling at this moment could have horrible consequences. He was still out of Jack’s reach, but level with the boy’s face. “I’m not going to hurt you mate. I’m not mad at you in any way.” Bunny’s nose twitched as Jack looked at up from his arms. The kid was a mess; how long had Pitch had him? Bunny felt his fur raise up, but did his best to keep his voice level. “That’s it, that’s it Jackie.” Bunny hopped over slowly, stilling every time Jack tensed up. “I’m not mad at you at all. I just know you are out here, alone and scared. You hurt anywhere, champ?” Aster continued edging himself closer until he was in arm’s length of the spirit. He stilled himself; he was not going to move into the kiddo’s personal bubble.

 

Jack shook his head, but started sniffling and crying anew, hands twisting along the staff’s handle. Bunny’s core burned with pain at this sight. “Jackie, we need to get you out of here.” The Easter rabbit lowered himself completely to his belly and stared. “Can I take you to North’s shop? I’ll open the portal right to your room; you don’t have to talk to either of us.” Bunny’s fluffy tail bobbed side to side, wanting to appear as harmless as possible to his friend.

 

There was a long wait, but Bunny didn’t rush the frostling. After a few minutes of crying, Jack slowly reached out a trembling hand. Bunny offered his paw and gently touched it to the tip of Jack’s finger. It killed Bunny all the more to watch as Jack broke harder. Did the boy expect the rabbit to reject his need for comfort?!

 

“Ok… to… my room at No…Nor…” Jack couldn’t finish, his hand jerking back from Bunny to twist at his staff more.

 

“Gotcha kiddo. I’ll be back in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Can I leave one of my eggs here with ya, mate?” Bunny breathed a sigh of relief and hopped off a bit. One tap of his tiny right leg got an egg sentry to show up. It began a patrol, getting Jack in sight, but hopefully not close enough to scare him. A tap with his left, and Bunny jumped down, transforming to his full form on the way and running full speed.

 

His portal opened up in his usual drop off spot; about ¼ mile to the workshop. He completely ignored the cold to his feet and charged on. The Yeti’s, seeing him coming, opened the door and yelled for the others to move. Bunny weaved and ducked around the different Yetis clearing the stations for the post-Christmas season. A scent of ice, cinnamon and human musk lead Bunny to the man of the shop. To say North was surprised to see Bunny so soon after Christmas and in such a state of frenzy was an understatement.

 

“Bunny, what is-”

 

The man-sized rabbit ran full into Father Christmas, taking pawfuls of the man’s red shirt and suspenders. “Jackie’s hurt, mate. He’s not ready to talk about it, but when we find that mother f- when we find _Pitch_ , there is no prison under ground for him again. I want that Shade’s head on the wall.” North watched as Bunny’s eye blew wide as he took in what was said.

 

“He didn’t… to Jack?!” North roared, only to be shaken hard by the Easter spirit again.

 

“Not now, mate. First, we take care of the kit. I need the guard lifted. I’m portaling Jack straight to his room. Get some food ready, call the others, and keep those damn elves away from him.” Bunny released his hold, though he did pull North to start towards the door.

 

The two rushed to North’s globe, commands being lashed out as they went. Nickolas pulled the summoning lever while also pressing a series of colorful buttons, before slamming his fist on one last teal button. “Guard is down. Go, Bunny.” North growled, noting that the rabbit was already off before he could finish.

 

Bunny’s feet blazed up the stairs, down hallways and around corners until he came to the attic room of Jack’s. He opened the door and felt his heart squeeze. It still smelled faintly of the kid; hell, the bed was unmade. Soft ice blue sheets were quickly tucked in by Aster in the small full-sized bed. He slammed and locked all the small elf doors that lined the walls, making sure to check the ones in the small closet full of extra sweatshirts. He splayed his paw of the large sun window that took up nearly the whole outside wall, laying down thick warning magic as he fixed up the window seat cushions. Satisfied that the room was in order and protected, Bunny opened a portal to his sentry first.

 

Hopping back up into the blinding wastes of the Antarctic, Bunny immediately shrank himself before hopping over to the still prone, still sniffling frost spirit. “Hey there, Jackie,” Jack stiffened again, but at least looked down toward his feet where Bunny was. “Got it all settled, mate. Fixed up your room for ya. You and I’ll go through the portal and I’ll leave you alone. No elves, no me, no North till you feel like coming out. Alright?” Bunny bobbed his tail again, wanting nothing more than to ease the spirit that had become his family.

 

It was a slow process. Despite scenting no blood, or… _fluids_ from Pitch, Jack moved like he had taken a beating. He clung to his staff as a crutch and shuffled to the portal. Bunny waited for him on the other side of the ring. “I’ll go first, Jack. I’ll hop over to the door, don’t you worry about a thing, alright?” Bunny watched the shallow nod before hopping down. He raced through the tunnel, listening to the sliding sounds of the boy behind him. On the other side, Bunny immediately went to the door, waiting for Jack to enter the room. Jack looked around, pointing his staff as he did a thorough look around before sitting himself on his window cushions. Bunny’s foot tapped softly in the confined space, closing the portal, but also summoning a small, brightly pink egg.

 

“ ‘ere go, Jackie-boy. I’ll leave the little googie with you. You want someone, or some food, or anything, you just tell that little mate. I’ll hear ‘em.” Bunny swallowed hard at the short nod of recognition before the boy curled his legs tight to his chest, hiding his face in his knees. Bunny swore painful, bloody vengeance on the Nightmare King once again.

 

Bunny went back to his full size outside of Jack’s room and began seeking out North again. The larger man was flexing his fists, slamming one into his open palm once in awhile while he paced his office. He turned when Aster entered. “What did Pitch do to our Jack, Bunny?”

 

Bunny’s ears pinned back as he snarled. “That rat bastard… I don’t know, North. Jack won’t let me get close, but I know my nose. Jackie smells of fear, shame and lust… Pitch assaulted him.” Bunny was not surprised with North’s fists slammed into a gorgeous, but the thick ice castle he had been designing. Bunny waited for a new large block of ice to magically slide into the room from North’s ice shaft. Bunny took that block for himself, digging his nails into it the pristine surface.

 

The two men worked out their initial anger through three more blocks of ice before they were settled enough to think again. “Did you… _smell_ … anything else?”

 

“No, thank the stars,” Bunny looked down at his torn and dull claws, not even willing them to regrow. “But I think he did other things. Jack’s… scared of me, North,” Bunny fell back on his haunches. “The kit thought I was mad at _him_ , thought I was going to hurt him. Said I always hit him… and he’s right. Every time I got mad at the kid in the past, I went to blows.” Bunny needed a few more deep breaths as he rubbed his muzzle hard. “When’s the last time you saw him, North?”

 

“Was at Thanksgiving. He pulled small prank with Yetis. I gave him small lecture, big hug, and sent to room. Left next day,” North sat down in his chair as he tried to piece together everything. It was two days before the new year. Pitch could have had their Jack for over a month. North had never thought Pitch capable of rape or such acts. Stories go, there had once been a very good man at Pitch’s core. Had that man finally been completely eroded away.

 

“Nickolasssss,” came a very feminine call the announced the arrival of Toothy. She was beaming in all over her gorgeous plumage as she sailed through the office door. She and her small band of Baby Teeth fairies pulled themselves short as they took in the sight of the two men. “What is it, North?” Tooth’s worried tone made the two men wince. Tooth’s relationship with Jack was a sticky one. She adored him, but couldn’t seem to decide if it was as a friend or a potential romantic interest.

 

“Is Jack, Toothy.” The Fairy dropped from her hover, hands clasping over her mouth. The mini fairies tweeted in panic, hovering at their mother’s shoulders.

 

“What happened? Where is he?” Tooth started hovering again, jerking side to side fast enough to make most people dizzy.

 

“He’s here, Tooth. Up in his room. Don’t know how bad it is yet; he’s not ready to talk… Pitch got ahold of him.” Bunny snarled while Tooth puffed up and her wings turned to razor edges.

 

“We need to get up there. He needs to tell us what happened.” Tooth flew back towards the door, just as North wrapped his hand around the ends of her tail.

 

“Is not time, Toothy. We must go on Jack’s direction. We have seen many children suffer in our time. Jack is immortal, yes, but immortal child in ways.” North spoke solemnly as he released her feathers.

 

Tooth worked through the number of different abuses that Jack could have suffered, and her arms hugged and squeezed her stomach. “Please… tell me Pitch didn’t…” She started to cry softly as both men simply looked at the ground, confirming her worst suspicions.

 

Sandy chose that moment to move into the office himself, his face sober. He signed that he had heard the conversation. He also signed that they needed to find some way of offering Jack their comfort without intruding.

 

“I left one of my little googies with him for now. I’ll hear if he wants anything,” Bunny offered, raising a brow as Sandy shook his head. More sand signs, this time of a snowflake being surrounded by a tooth, egg, and reindeer. “I think it’d be too much for him, mate. He’s scared,”

 

Sandy nodded, but motioned for them to follow him. The others set themselves on the far wall from Jack’s door. Sandy turned to the door and made a knocking motion while looking at Bunny. As the Sandman knocked, Bunny called out, “Jackie, Sandy’s going to come in. Just remember, mate, he’s not going to hurt you.”

 

Sandy whirled his sand in a long sheet of sand, like a screen in front of the other guardians. Sandy produced a mini Sandy in his palm and slipped it through the crack in the door.

 

Once inside, mini Sandy’s eyes opened to take in the room. For the Guardians, they were able to see what the mini Sandy could; almost like a radar or echolocation picture. Jack was still curled up over himself by the window, though the little Easter egg was now peeking out from his hoodie pocket. The Mini Sandy flew up to sit at the near end of Jack’s bed. Once the picture stabilized from the Mini Sandy’s movement, the guardians took in the sight of their youngest member. North swallowed down bile, seeing how Jack pulled himself even tighter now that the mini Sandy was inside. He could not see the details of Jack’s face, but the lack of the normal smiling, smirking prankster spirit was obvious.

 

“Jack,” North spoke from pain, blinking as the Frost spirit jerked his head up toward the little Sandy. “Can you hear me, Jack?” North asked this time, keeping his voice as normal as possible to hide the pain. Jack gave a little nod before rubbing his cheek to his knees.

 

“Tooth and I are here too, Jackie. Course Sandy’s here, since he’s working his magic,” Sandy nodded and smiled a bit, and the gesture was reflected in the mini Sandy. “We’re here for you, Jack.”

 

Everyone was silent for a while, until the Baby Teeth started tweeting to Tooth. She listened in for a few moments, before gasping and nodding to them. “Good girls.” She caught the other’s eyes and rolled her finger in a ‘stay with me’ fashion. “Jack, I have to tell you about this one time, ages ago, when Bunny had the absolute worst cold.” Bunny scoffed and made a move to hush her.

 

“Oh, yes, I am remembering! Was in Rome at time, yes Bunny? Bunny sneezing and moping up storm.” North agreed and winked at Bunny.

 

“Hey, now, you try getting all over the world with so much going on in your chest,” Bunny grumbled, but was understanding the ploy.

 

“Your own muzzle was _green_ ,” Tooth shrieked before tipping over giggling.

 

“I didn’t have me hanky, little Miss Feather Duster.”

 

They Guardians continued on for a time, telling old stories, relaying new news, and in general, just being as close as they could to Jack without pressuring him.

 

It was hours later, when everyone was enjoying a drink, Tooth had sent the Baby Teeth off to take care of the world, when Jack started to open up. He set down the lukewarm cocoa mug he had been sipping and cleared his throat. “Guys… what’s today?”

 

“Is being New Year’s Eve Eve,” North answered, setting down his own Irish hot cocoa and watched the screen.

 

“… Is that all?” Jack scoffed softly, tapping his fingertips to the rim of his mug. He was quiet again, looking over at the Mini Sandy a few times. “It felt… feels… like I was there for a year.” Jack’s toes curled around his staff as he curled his hands around the mug like a lifeline.

 

“There’s no rush, Jack,” Tooth whispered as she set her lemonade by North’s. “Please don’t say anything you aren’t ready for. We’ll be here, no matter what.”

 

Jack shook his head back and forth slowly. “It… it was a nightmare… He trapped me in a nightmare.”

 

For the next several hours, Jack did his best to relay everything he could about the dream. The disowning by North, the beatings by Bunny and lack of support from Sandy. Tooth had to leave for awhile, sobbing and howling somewhere in the workshop over what the dream version of her had done to Jack.

 

The teen was a sobbing mess as he tried to explain the complete confusion he felt now towards Pitch. Bunny, having been physically sick a number of times by now, couldn’t stand it anymore. Morphing down to his small size he leapt onto Jack’s cushion and snuggled his body into the teen’s ankle. “It’s ok to be confused, mate. He knew just how to hurt you,” Bunny comforted as best he could.

 

Jack finally calmed down enough to tell them about when he woke up. How Pitch had stopped in his molestation and taken both of them to the Antarctic, how the shade had called for Bunny, and how that was the end. Bunny was now snuggled tight to the exhausted spirit’s chest, wiggling his nose and face into the teen’s sweater to clean himself. Jack cuddled Bunny tight even as his eyes began to droop.

 

“Mate… there’s nothing any of us can say right now. We care about you, and _none_ of us would ever hurt you like that _._ I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hurt you before, but never again, Jackie.” Bunny rubbed his face on his paws now.

 

“Jack,” Both Bunny and Jack looked over to the mini Sandy on the bed. “You need rest.” Jack jerked away from the mini Sandy, but clutched Bunny tighter to his chest. “You have us here with you Jack. We will let no nightmares fall on you, right Sandy?” North asked the real one, while the mini one nodded.

 

“If you want, Jackie, me or that little Sandy can stay with ya.” Bunny added as he watched the blues of Jack’s eyes be replaced by the black pupils. With some more coaching from North and happy waves over by the mini Sandy, Jack wiggled himself into the bed. Bunny sat at the end, near his covered feet, while the Sandy turned into dream sand and settled deep into Jack’s eyes and mind, letting him rest.

 

 

 

 

And that was how Jack began his recovery. Days were spent in either silence with some figurine of a guardian to watch him or talking to said figurine. Jack didn’t leave his room for weeks, and at first, only left for quick fly overs of the North Pole. Nights were spent drench in dreamsand to safeguard him from Pitch.

 

Everyone eventually had to get back to work, but were in constant contact with Jack through the little figurines they left. North would still make regular visits to Jack’s attic, talking through the door. Through it all, Jack started to piece what was reality back together.

 

That didn’t mean he was ‘fixed’. Jack was pretty sure he’d never be ‘fixed’. He jumped and ducked away from any loud voices for months, managing himself down to stiffening at them. He responded badly to anyone coming up behind him, though after awhile, he covered it by turning around and joking with Phil, North or whoever got behind him at the workshop. Worst were anyone’s attempt to hug him. Even now, two years later, he could only stand slow hugs from the front.

 

North had been the easiest to reconnect with, since they lived together. Jack remembered, six months into his recovery, the day he could lean himself into North’s side as he worked. North had been talking about getting Jack’s design for a new robot in ice. Jack, pulling on his courage, had leaned his left side into North’s right, resting his cheek on the older spirit’s shoulder. North had completely stilled, and after some time, leaned his cheek into Jack’s hair. “I am proud of you, Jack.” The two spirits stayed like that for a few moments before Jack conjured up a few designs for North to choose from.

 

Bunny met Jack with Jaime and Sophie a lot. Initially, it was to help Jack feel like he had an out while in Bunny’s company. Secondly, it was to ease the two into the changes that Jack had to enact.  Jaime was really confused about why he could no longer give Jack a flying leap hug but was quick to agree. Bunny stood low on his haunches whenever he was around Jack now, less imposing. Both of them stayed away from topics that might get either of them into a serious argument with the other. Both the kids noticed the changes, but neither spirit acted like there was anything different between them. Bunny had given Jack a teleportation charm, in the shape of an egg, of course, that would allow the Jack to visit him whenever the ice spirit wanted. Jack hadn’t been to visit the warden though.

 

Sandy, the widest wandering spirit, kept Jack supplied with dreamsand, no matter when Jack laid his head for the night. On nights when Jack flew into Sandy’s area, the tiny man offered up his cloud for Jack to rest in. They talked while Sandy work, and sometimes, Jack just snuggled into the cloud.

 

Tooth… was Tooth, and despite how much Jack wanted things to be normal between the two of them, it hadn’t worked there yet. Tooth mannerisms changed the most. She hovered low or walked whenever they were together. She telegraphed all of her movements, slowing her hands if she moved them, and kept herself in easy sight of Jack at all times. Baby Tooth followed her example; slow movements and never touching Jack unless he offered the mini fairy his hand first. Tooth gave Jack a similar charm to Bunny’s. A little blue green feather would transport him to a small open guest room in the Toothpalace. Jack toured it, with Sandy and Tooth, when Tooth offered it to him. It was covered in murals of dozens of happy children playing together through the different seasons. As soon as Jack stepped through the doorway, the temperature inside dropped to where Jack would be comfortable. There were no locks on the door or windows and dozens of books. Jack hadn’t been back since the tour.

 

Now Jack stood before the monolith he and Pitch created. It was the middle of summer at the South Pole, but still a decent temperature. He spun his staff causally, blasting bits of frost and ice around. He had already sealed every hole he could find with highly reflective ice. The only shadows within a mile was the one he now stood in. He was not going to give Pitch an out.

 

He pulled the small shadow-sand horse that he had carried for two years. He didn’t know if Pitch was actually going to follow through on his own promise, but Jack needed to continue his recovery. He needed to face the Nightmare King again. Jack tossed the little horse to the ground before blasting it with his staff.

 

Surprise of surprise, Pitch crawled his way out of the thin shadows in front of Jack. The Fun Guardian gritted his teeth together, shards of ice snapped from the end of his staff. The Boogeyman ran his hands over his clothes, took a slow breath, released and looked to Jack. Those yellow eyes tried to send shivers down his spine, but he bit at the edge of his tongue to stop the fear.

 

“Hello, Jack,” that smooth voice was back, and Pitch was at full height and health. It made Jack’s teeth grit harder. Jack’s fear was what restored the asshole.

 

“Couple of things, Black,” Pitch’s eyes shut, and he pulled himself up listen to the younger spirit, hands behind his back like normal. “The Guardians have all agreed; the next time you overstep the line, you’re going down permanently. We’ll find someone else to take up the mantle of Fear, if the world goes out of balance.” Pitch’s eyebrows frowned into each other, but he said nothing, eyes still closed.

 

“Second, after today, I personally never want to see your face again. You will never darken Jaime, Sophie, or any other their future family’s doorsteps.” Pitch leaned his head to the right slightly, before nodding again.

 

“Lastly,” Jack dropped his staff until he held just the last third, while the tip began to form a thick layer of ice. Soon the staff was encased in the ice enough for it to look like a large hammer instead of the shepherd crock it was. “You don’t move for the next 10 minutes.” Pitch dropped his hands to the side, before nodding one last time.

 

Jack struck hard and fast, cracking the ice maul first into Pitch’s temple. The shade called out in pain as he collapsed to the ground. Jack looped his arms back and delivered a downward blow to Pitch’s knee. Next was a side long strike that caught Pitch under his chin, leaving the shade to spit shards of teeth to the ground.

 

Jack continued, blow after blow, to every area of Pitch in reach. The King was soon, bloodied, broken with bruises on top of bruises.

 

Then Pitch snapped his eyes open, and Jack felt his body seize up.

 

His staff dropped from his limp hands, his body began to shake and tremble. Pitch’s face grew into first horror, then pain, and lastly hunger. The shade turned his face away from the frostling, breaking whatever spell had taken hold of Jack. The boy’s legs gave out from under him and the shaking got worse. A chest deep sob erupted from his mouth, forcing his hands to cover his face to hide from the dark man in front of him.

 

“… this was supposed to help… why… why” was all Jack could get out as the sobs overtook him and he collapsed forward to the ground.

 

“Because I have made you fear me, Jack.” Pitch spoke from where he kneeled, keeping his eyes closed as his face began to immediately knit back together. “I made the decision to use my talents to make you fear me.” Softer now, a different pain laced into his words. “I threw away any chance of civility between us. I dissolved our long history and have ruined you.” Pitch now stood as if nothing had happened to him but kept his eyes down. “I made the decision to tarnish any pervious pleasant feelings you might have had for me.” That got Jack to sob harder, and Pitch gritted his own teeth in pain at the sound. “I am a despicable, selfish man who chose to break one of the purest souls of this world for my own needs. You will never be able to fight me, Jack. My presence will cause you fear, which will heal any damage done to me.”

 

“I… loved you,” Jack whispered, and Pitch’s heart seized in his chest, doubling him over at the waist. No, The King’s back snapped upright again. He would suffer for what he had done to the boy.

 

“I am cruel, Jack. I am made of fear, and in that fear, I can see what you want the most. I thought… several times, to end the nightmare early. To wake you at a moment where you loved me. You would have accepted me at that point; accepted that I had roused you from a simpler nightmare. That the two of us were on the run from the Guardians. I didn’t. As cruel as I am, I would never let you love the lie.” Pitch stepped back into the shadows. “You might have even forgiven me if I had woken you up. And that is something I will _never_ deserve from you. I will never darken your steps, Jack Frost. Of that, I hereby swear.” Pitch pulled the last of his dear Onyx from the insides of his robes. He pet the last of his Nightmares one last time before changing her shape into Aster’s. He sent her through the shadows to the rabbit once again, before turning once more to the sobbing spirit. “Find peace, Jack Frost,” was all he said as he let the shadows consume him away.

 

 

 

~~~~~~

 

Is Pitch sorry?  This is the end, but I swear, some day, I WILL make a nice fic with these two.


End file.
